"You're vampires!" I exclaimed without meaning to. "Or at least, Cyrus is." I studied Lucian. "Though I bet you're one too."

"Correct!" Chattered Cyrus nervousness, like he was warning me with his voice not to spend too long staring Lucian down. "And you're a fallen angel- what's a little amnesty between supernatural creatures, right?"

"I didn't really know vampires... existed."

Lucian quirked an eyebrow. "You're an angel." He said monotonously.

"Well, sure, but humans know about angels. Vampires are just myths."

"Obviously not." Cyrus was prone to hesitant laughs, I noted. He reminded me of a goat.

"What else is out there? Aliens? Bigfoot?"

"Werewolves." Lucian stood up suddenly, and started to walk out the room without explanation. "Obviously, our natural enemies."

"...That it?" I said, disappointed.

"That we know of." Cyrus said. Now that Lucian was out of the room, he seemed a lot more at peace. "Sorry about playing dead on you. I was sorta hoping you'd leave my body out in the street and I could just walk home."

"Thanks for saving me." I nodded firmly at him.

His honey eyes sparkled. "I am an immortal. It's the least I can do for an injured angel."

"Fallen angel." I corrected.

A brief shadow crossed into his eyes. "What happened to you? Do I even want to know?"

"It's..." I paused, my words and thoughts filling my chest, threatening to spill but waiting on the brink. "My life is a mess."

"That's all you have to say."

"That's all."

"I can respect that."

I smiled. "So. Vamps. You guys drink blood?"

"That's what makes a vampire a vampire, right? Otherwise I'd just be... a well preserved zombie. Or a particularly human-shaped werewolf." He waited a second. "What's it like in Heaven?"

"That falls under my last comment of 'my life is a mess', which is of course sorted in the category of 'things I don't want to talk about.'"

"Shucks."

"Please never say the word 'shucks' again."

He chuckled softly. Then, when he calmed down again, he watched me with curious eyes. "My offer still stands. If you need a place to heal, you're welcome to stay here."

"You've seen who's chasing me. It wouldn't be safe."

"We're immortal, Eden. We can handle a few angels." He licked his lip, rather bizarrely. "Taken care of them before in the last few centuries."

"Do I want to know what you're implying?"

"Angel blood is very, very tasty. Sweet like nectar. Nourishing and powerful. And so succulent!"

I had to smile. Cyrus seemed to normal, but here he was gushing over blood like a gourmet. "Should I concerned?"

"If you ever have blood to spare..." He cocked his head playfully.

"Well," I said, standing up. "If you like sucking on upholstery, the stumps of my wings probably left a pretty bad stain." So they had. Whoops. That's one leather couch ruined.

"My brother's going to kill you."

"He's already made that threat once."

Cyrus took me to a spare bedroom, of which his mansion seemed to have many. It was glorious, a great bay window looking out over the garden and a soft red canopy bed taking up half the room. It wasn't too big of a space, but a comfortable and luxurious, nearly homely.

He offered to help bandage my back, but I refused for obvious reasons. He gave me a roll of gauze and I wrapped my wounds up tightly and got dressed. Cyrus had also brought me some of his clothes to wear- a plaid blue button up and black skinny jeans. The shirt was a too big for me, and I had to roll up the sleeves to avoid looking like a child.

Cyrus snickered when he saw me. "You look like a girl."

I tried to roll my eyes to hide my momentary panic. "Just short."

"Short as a girl!"

Just then, Lucian walked by the room, and peered in disapprovingly, his narrow face dark with displeasure. "I do hope your possessions aren't strewn about this room because you intend on staying here."

Cyrus bickered a few words in Italian to his brother, who replied sharply.

"I'm sorry." I said, flaring my hands. "I just need to hide for a few days, until my back is stronger."

"Two days."

"Pardon?" I said, hoping I had misunderstood.

"You may stay two days. And I do hope it is painfully clear that this is my gift to you. Something you need to cherish. And certainly must repay."

My spine chilled. "What do you mean?"

He smirked. "As an angel, there are a few things I can think of..."

My heart froze. "Clarify?"

His pallid face was obviously trying to restrain a dark-hearted grin. "Warfare." He said simply, walking towards me. "And of course... a little donation." His fingers lightly touched my neck with icy hands.

"Won't that make me a vampire?"

"It'll only make me quite happy." Lucian said calmly. Cyrus again tried to argue with him in Italian, and was again shut down. "Tomorrow morning. I'll need use of your abilities."

I wanted to interject, maybe note that I wasn't particularly powerful, and a fallen angel at that, but I knew trying to correct Lucian would probably end with me forced out onto the streets.

Or, god knows, locked up in the basement and used for food.

I wasn't really into finding out which.