The Mark of Love & War [HOLD]

Chapter 1 - Old Friend

Higher Love - James Vincent McMorrow

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"No."

"Lonny-"

"No."

"Why?"

"Why?" I repeated in outrage. "You're asking me why I won't speak with her? You're asking me why I won't meet up with the woman that left us when we needed her the most? Please be real, Bonnie."

Bonnie frowned and picked up her coffee cup. We were currently sat in a small cafe in Time Square. Jay was at the side picking up a bottle of honey for our hot breakfast. I wanted Jayden to go back today. I didn't want him here another night. It wasn't safe. Although I had repeated my point many times before, he still wouldn't listen. 

Bonnie frowned deeper. "It's been a while since we've seen her. She hasn't done us any wrong..." She trailed off probably because of my facial expression. 

I was beyond furious. For Bonnie to say this about Maryanne, it just made me want to blow up with anger.

"Done us any wrong?" I dropped my fork with an echoing clang and leaned back in my chair. I had to calm myself. Human's were glancing at me as it was. The angel that owned the small cafe was giving me disapproving looks and sending me thoughts to stay calm. 

Bonnie shook her head with a small frown. "Calm down."

"Done us any wrong? Of all people as well. Really?" Jay walked over slowly looking between us but I paid him no attention at all. "She left us when we needed her the most. She left us in that ambush. Up and left like it was nothing." I leaned forward and turned into a whisper when people started to return back to there own meals. "Because of her, the Thomas's left. I don't know where they went, I don't know if they will ever come back but because of that woman we once trusted they have not made contact with us since 2012. Just because you sense her around doesn't mean we should have the courtesy to say, 'Hello.'" I pushed my full plate of food away and stood up picking up my baseball cap in the process.

"Where are you going." Bonnie asked not really looking up from her plate of food. She was used to my rants. She was used to the way I stormed off. So this wasn't anything new. 

"I'm taking a walk." I smiled briefly at Jay before walking out of the cafe. As soon as I exited, I received my usual weary looks. I grabbed my long hair in one hand and twisted it to the top of my head so I could put my baseball cap on.

Some were still giving me looks so I ignored them as I slowly walked down the busy sidewalk. Time Square was still a busy place. Not as busy as before I must admit but still filled with people. Shops were still in business; although near the beginning it was hard to keep them up and running without Demon's stealing or burning them down. Angel's were the ones to own most shops nowadays. It was the only way to make sure they were safe.

I looked up at the huge TV and listened to the woman explaining the usual precautions of the day. Some people had stopped to watch, probably the ones who were new to New York and others that were so used to it they just ran into the subway stations like it was nothing.

I strolled down the street making sure to keep my head lowered away from everyone. I could still hear their thoughts; they were thinking about me being out in the day. I let out a small sigh as I turned to walk down the busy street.

I couldn't believe Bonnie. See Maryanne? What a joke. 

After a year with Mary, that'd seemed to be enough. It was so sudden, so unexpected that when she left, Bonnie was stunned into an ultimate silence. I, however, was furious. She'd hurt Bonnie and I wanted to murder her for it. For weeks I tried to find her energy, her light, but I found nothing. I believed she was dead. But after the family explained what was happening, I thought different...



*2012*




"That's it then?" I gritted out. "You've stopped hoping? You've stopped helping me?"

Joseph looked toward his wife, Elizabeth. She pulled her flowing blonde hair into a pony tail and sighed. "Lonny, sweetheart, we're leaving for your benefit. We're leaving so we can help the world get back to normal."

I narrowed my eyes and shrugged off Tristan's hands trying to keep me in place. I read the pure pain on his face but ignored it. He was leaving too and I couldn't forgive him for that. I glanced around the house I once lived in and at the huge cemented area on the wall which I threw Maryanne through once upon a time.

"You're going with Mary aren't you?"

Joseph frowned and for the first time I actually believed they were going with her. It was worse just having the idea that they were leaving with her but now I knew for a fact.

"I knew you were. I just needed some form of confirmation," I stepped away from Tristan. "Tell me what you're doing so I can at least put Bonnie's mind at rest. She's heartbroken that Mary left so suddenly."

Joe ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. "We can't say, I'm sorry,"

I chuckled humourlessly as I looked at them all. I would have thought after everything they would have the courtesy to tell me. They were my second family. They took me in when I needed it. And now they were leaving. 

"You know, I loved you guys dearly." Elizabeth's eyes filled with unshed tears. "I thought you loved me too. I thought you were my family."

Liz took a stepped toward me with outstretched hands. "We do. And we are."

I shook my head as I took a step back and finally switched off. "Stay in contact. Let me know if one of you die." I went to turn around but Joseph grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Lonny, you're losing faith in yourself. I can see the trust issues brewing inside of you. You can trust us no matter what. We can't explain what's going on right now but in time you will understand."

He suddenly pulled me into a bear hug and kissed my cheek. I couldn't deny the fatherly feeling I had with Joseph. I loved him like a second father. 

"Stay strong. Look after your family. Take care of Bonnie. She's still young."

I hugged him back briefly forcing my emotions to the back of my head. Liz gave me a motherly hug and kiss and then it was Tristan.

I adored Tristan he was like a brother. I hated that he was leaving too. He picked me up and spun me around with his huge muscled arms. "Love you squirt."

"I don't love you for leaving." 

He dropped me back to me feet and sighed. "You'll find out soon. I promise, Lon. You trust me, right?"

I nodded.

"Trust me when I say it will all fall into place soon." He pecked my cheek and I watched their retreating backs leave the house.



*Present*



I stopped when I realised I'd wandered to a shady area of New York. I looked toward the boarded up houses and listened to the police sirens echo in the distance. 

A scream quite far away caught my attention. I briefly shut my eyes to find the source of the scream and followed it. Once to the long alleyway, I followed it further in and sighed when I came across a human woman clutching her brown handbag pressed up against a wall along with a very tall big male Fallen Angel with his hands either side of her head.

I assessed the situation quickly: yes, she was filled with fear. Yes, he was forcing himself on her. Why she was stupid enough to come down here was confirmed when I felt the pheromones practically radiating off him. He lured human women down here and obviously she was slightly stronger willed than he believed. 

I walked to them and watched his head snap toward me. 

I pulled off my hat and watched his face light up. The upside to having the power to hide my energy and having this hair colour is that they don't know who I am or if I'm good.

"Care to join?"

The helpless woman squeezed her eyes shut after she glanced at me. I looked back to the male and started toward him. He tried his little pheromone trick with me but it didn't work. Not even a little bit. I put my hand on his and watched as his face went to shock and pulled away from the woman when smoke came from his burning flesh. He jumped away from her and stared at me in shock.

"What are you doing?!"

The woman slid to the ground in a crying heap and a cloud of anger came over me. I released the hold on my energy and smiled when his face changed to understanding and fear. "Princess-"

"Leave this woman alone." He flinched away from my voice and stood up abruptly.

A burst of confidence sprung into his mind. He came at me fast but I easily dodged it, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him from the ground. I concentrated the fire inside my veins into my hand. He started to struggle hard but I waited another moment before dropping him to the ground.

"Leave." I said.

He scrambled off the ground and growled before running through the dark alley.

I walked to the woman and held my hand out to her. She stared at it and then me like I'd just offered her the forbidden apple from the Garden of Eden. She hesitantly took my hand and I helped her up. Moments like these were rare. Most human's I helped didn't think I was genuinely there to help them. They thought I was tricking them.

"You're that angel."

Ah. This is one of those times.

Some human's have been starting to educate each other about the situation. The book... The book Gabriel had written had been republished many, many times over the last two years so now most human's knew about me and why the Demon's were here. Which isn't exactly a good thing for me.

I nodded and picked up her bag to hand it to her. "You should go. It's not safe in this area."

She nodded slowly. "Th-thank you."

I sighed. "You're welcome."

Her eyes darted behind me as she started to back up. The energy I felt was unfortunately familiar. The thing with not hiding my energy is that Demon's and Fallen Angels can either find me or try something on me. This woman was nowhere to be found when I came down here and when I released my energy she probably came running.

"You're safe. You can go." I sent the woman a reassuring smile and watched her leave.

I then turned my undivided attention onto the woman I thought had left for good. I hated her. And unless she has a perfectly good reason for leaving then I won't forgive her.

There are things she probably will never forgive me for. And during the years we were together I thought she'd accepted it and moved on. But of course, she held onto the grudge. I mean I couldn't blame her. What I'd done was wrong. But it was also an accident. However, that is a whole other story.

"Hello,"

She was wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt which was no surprise. It'd been a while since I'd seen her and the only thing that looked different about her, was her sharper features and her longer black flowing hair. But that's it. There was nothing signalling that she'd done anything good for her life. But there was something different about her. There were a few scars on her arms, maybe from battle she probably believed she was strong enough to fight.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise." I folded my arms across my chest.

She raised a straight black brow at me and smirked. "Well, it looks like someone hasn't lost their sense of sarcasm."

"I did have a great teacher." I clenched my hands into fists. 

She raised her brows all the way to her hairline. "Ouch, princess."