It's been exactly week ever since I kissed Francis and I've done nothing but avoid him, we would see each other in the hallways but I would immediately turn around and walk away before he could get a word out.

I had spent all that night I kissed him, repeating the thoughts that had been going through my mind, and all of it seemed wrong.

I kissed one of the most wanted criminals in history and I couldn't fathom what I should do know. I was falling into Stockholm syndrome, and I couldn't leave yet since my wings are not fully formed, and it wasn't enough for me to 'fly' yet because the bone structure was still sitting oddly in my body. I couldn't even keep them in a correct placement folded behind my back, they always were oddly bent behind my back

But as soon as I knew how to take off, I wouldn't stay here any longer.

Yes, I would be leaving behind the small friends and relationships I had made, but I couldn't stay here. It would be wrong, to stay in a criminal base, with people who have killed hundreds. Yes, for their own reasons but they don't think rationally. I couldn't stay here with them.

I didn't care if I had to destroy my relationships, that I admit loving, but my need to live a different life was larger... I couldn't stay here no matter what.

As I sat down in the elegant couch with fluffy cushions, I couldn't help but look around whilst tucking my lips into my mouth to peel the skin off them. The room was filled with maids and there were guards standing in the entrance. It was a large room same gold embellishment as any other, with a different dusty red colour to it and there was an elegant folding screen that was facing me. The maids seemed to be preparing me for something.

I knew something was up ever since I heard someone talking to the guards outside my door and as soon as they left, they came in an instructed me to follow them and the two lead me here, where I was sat down, and the maids started rushing around.

I looked to one of the guards that I had seen around quite a few times, looking to the crowd and then back at him, trying to signal if he could tell me what was going on. He nodded and glanced at the other guards who returned the gesture, allowing him to approach me, digging in his blazer pocket for something, at last retrieving a letter with a deep red wax stamp on it of an F.W. and I knew those initials instantly.

The man handed me the letter and I threw him a smile. I thanked him and he then bowed, walking away

I mumbled the letter aloud to myself. 'Dear...' I already stopped and looked at the cursive word 'Angel', but I immediately ignored it and kept on reading.

'Dear Angel,

There is said to be a masquerade party tonight that is being hosted by a gang ally and I have chosen you as my plus one. I'm already at the venue for business so I will meet you there. The maids will prepare you so enjoy the treatment.

Don't try to escape whilst I'm gone

Your love,

Francis Whitelock"

I could practically hear his smug face whilst reading the paper and quickly re folded the letter and put it on the side table beside me and glanced up to who looked to be the head maid. She looked quite tense but had softened facial features which made me ease up a little.

"Hi Miss Valentina. I'm Stella, and here to tell you that the bath is ready to bathe in." she serves and bows slightly before turning around and showing me the way to which I quickly followed her to a large bathroom, two times larger than my older one, probably as big as the room itself.

There was a bath built into the floor and a large waterfall shower behind a wall next to a window that had white curtains that blurred the outside and I could faintly see the green to browning leaves outside.

It must've been turning to Autumn already and it was spring when I came here. And there was the sunset bouncing off the glass reflection, forcing me to look away from the brightness.

I sighed as I looked around the room to admire the marble sculpting of the room but stopped as I saw that Stella was now watching me from the other side of the room next to the bath. I realised that she was waiting for me to strip off my clothes so that she could bathe me. Stella could see that I just realised what she wanted to do and nodded so I did so. I wasn't used to this kind of treatment, I thought it only happened in the movies or with royalty.

I carefully dropped my clothes to the floor and let my wings free of the restricting clothing, causing Stella to quietly gasp. Everyone here besides Quinn and Xavier, they are so admirable of our wings. As I threw the maid a small smile, she bent her head to the floor in embarrassment that I heard her.

Stepping into the water, shivers were sent up my spine from the cold, but I quickly sat down and dealt with the chills, not wanting to keep Stella waiting. She immediately got to work and put a towel with warm water on my back and I felt my shoulders droop with the contact. She carefully moved it between the new structure of wings and there was a sudden crack.

Recently, I had surgery to allow the bones of wings come through and the wings on them were already forming, making me look somewhat decent, but there was no way that I could control my wings, as I had been told- I had to wait for them to finally move into the right place- and know, I think they have.

It felt amazing, it was as if all the odd feelings in my back were loosened and put back in place and that's when I felt my wings move with my command.

My head shot back suddenly making Stella tense, thinking she did something wrong but all I did was move my wings to fold them behind my back neatly. Eyes still wide, I muttered to myself in amazement. The head maid smiled to herself, and she massaged my shoulder with the warm towel, trailing it down my left, then right arm.

After that she handed me with care and when I got out, she helped me up knowing I was a little numb from the cold and gave me a towel to wrap around my body. We exited the bathroom and she told me to go behind the board as she gets the dress that I would be wearing for the party. I peeked to see what was going on as I saw the guards being shooed out of the room and being told to wait outside.

I waited for a minute before a black dress was presented to me and Stella spoke about it. "This dress was chosen by Ms Quinn." she explained with a smile, and I giggled as I took it in hand and analysed its style.

It was a short black dress that had a choker attached to the top and the back was cut out into a diamonds shape. All the sides to the sleeve end and choker were lined with lace adding an elegant spark to it. I could tell that this was Quinn's style to which I admired. Stella left me alone saying that she was preparing the make up for the other maids.

As I put the dress on, I felt it bend around my curves to the middle of my thighs and I looked in the mirror and felt like a whole different person. My wings were now bent over my back neatly and were the colour hazel, a close shade to my hair and had brown and blonde feathers scattered around the wings. The black contrasted with my bright features looked great. And I slide on the black heels on the floor for me, and black gloves placed on top of the screen.

I stare at myself admirably, but before I could get any further at analysing myself, another maid pulled me away from it gently and sat me down in front of a vanity mirror.

She was a delicate girl, brown hair and eyes that complimented her dark skin and her make up looking absolutely jaw-dropping. The girl noticed me staring and quickly stepped back from the makeup she was organising, flustered.

"Sorry, Hello. I'm the make-up artist here, Taraji, but call me Tara." she says with a calmer bow. I didn't know why everyone bent their backs for me, I wasn't a crowned princess.

"It's nice to meet you, Tara." I grinned and she started to sort through the laid-out makeup again before picking up a foundation of my skin tone and a brush along with it. "May you please close your eyes?" she asked politely, and I nodded, doing so, and let the magician do the magic. As it took longer than I expected, I got lost in my own thoughts with the memorising brush movements until she finally stopped.

Peeking my eyes opened eyes widened to see a different person in the mirror, I never was someone to put on makeup, so it felt completely different to have it on.

Without another word, Tara started to do my mascara and put on darker lipstick that matched the dress. When I was done, she grabbed a black mask from her back pocket that was covered in sequins and had small feathers on the side. She put it on the front of my face, careful not to smudge any of the newly laid makeup.

I smiled as she stepped back to let me look at myself completely. It really did feel like I was royalty. Stella and Tara were now standing back admiring this work and I nodded in approval making their grins widen.

Thanking the two girls, I walk out of the doors and started to walk out of the door, not waiting for any of the guards to catch up with me. All I was, was excited that I finally got to get out of this mansion without getting in trouble, it was the first time for months!

I started to speed walk with a wide smile spreading across my face as the front door was in my view. The guards were by my side and nodded to the men guards the doors, armed with 2 large guns, and opened the pair of large oak doors, revealing the outside stairs and a limousine parked on the gravel driveway.

There was a driver waiting outside the car on his phone, leaning against the black car but as soon as he saw me, he straightened up and tilted his head into a sort of bow, but I could see him hiding his red face. One of the guards opened the door for me and I slid into it, admiring the fancy seats and mini bar.

The guards farewelled me before as the driver got in and drove off. I tried to look down the window to see where we were going but they had tinted the inside so that I could see outside, I guess to stop me from memorising where to go when escaping.

Without being able to watch the passing trees I was left to the mini bar of biscuits and drinks so I had a drink and before stacking all the biscuits I could find on top of each other, but all my progress was lost as the car lurched to a stop.

The door was suddenly opened for me, and I looked to see the driver urging me to get out with his eyes, so I did and nodded to him as a thanks.

Stepping out, I could feel eyes turn to view who had just arrived and even a few audible gasps. Looking to the ground, I could feel my face turning red and I fiddled with my purse, not knowing whether to stay or to strut my way into a stranger's mansion. But I was distracted from the though when I heart heavy footsteps head my way and stop right in front of me.

"Welcome to the party." a smug voice greets, and I sigh to myself and look up to see him holding a handout for me.

I didn't want to smile. I tried not to. But I couldn't help myself.

"Thank you." I say quietly and he took my hand into his, placing a kiss to it and sending shivers up my spine. He held my hand strongly, as if I was going to disappear any second and but also with a delicate touch.

He fixed his posture and pulled me to his side by the waist, our wings brushing against each other and his hot breath pushing against my cold neck.

"Shall we go?" he whispered into my ear, play like as he eyed the crowd before us.

"We shall." I muttered back with a smile and rested my head on his shoulders as we hooked our arms together.

It was hard to resist someone like him...