And by that the second bottle was full. The equipment was unhooked and the blood bottle was put into the fridge like the first. Slightly light headed, Silas pushed himself to stand. The transaction was complete and it was certain Victor wouldn't say anything else.

With the chains floating in a close trail and Sky at his side, Silas walked back out of the room through the strings of hanging beads back into the store front of Victor's Galipot. The curious eyes that had gathered at the front of the shop were quick to sink back out of sight when Silas came into view. But it wasn't to say they weren't still watching or listening. Many had never seen the Collector in the flesh, the tall man in a black suit consumed by shadow. He was a curiosity, especially if the rumors turned out to be true.

Silas was ready to leave, the chains lifting to return to loop onto his waiting arms.

"Before you go," Victor's voice was again in his ear. As they made their silent exit, the vampire was in front of them once more. "May I interest you in a small trinket that I believe would be very useful to your cause?"

Stopping, the Collector hadn't the time to answer before something was suddenly placed into his marked hand. Once a gypsy merchant, always a gypsy merchant. There was a push to make a sale. Into his palm was a necklace, a locket like a shelled egg with a gold hinge to allow the opening and closing of its locking halves. It was empty on the inside. When Silas looked again from his palm to Victor, the vampire's grin never wavered.

"This one is not interested," said Silas but the gypsy insisted by curling the Collector's fingers closed over the open palm and the necklace.

"I insist," Victor replied, stepping back to allow the Collector his space to leave.

"It's cost?"

"A gift. After all, what if the rumors turn out to be true? I will never see you again. I feel as though I owe this to you, considering you did pay two."

Little did Victor know was that even if the rumor turned out to be wrong, he would also would most likely never see them again.

"Its use?"

"It's called an Angel Egg. They hold souls. Open the halves and the wandering soul will be contained. Lock it. Release is simply by opening the egg once more. Angel Eggs are Divine items. By their means, it is impossible for just anyone to use them. One needs certain skills. It is useless to me, but perhaps may be of use to you."

Silas could only imagine where it came from. As he was about to hand the necklace back to the vampire, a force stayed his hand. He looked at it once more and as he did so, his hand moved with a power of its own. Into the depths of his black suit's pocket he slipped the chain and it's locket.

"Victor's gift is accepted." Silas acknowledged, only giving his head a slight nod with a look at the corner of his black eyes. The gypsy appeared satisfied while Sky was confused. Silas never accepted gifts from anyone and they knew this.

"A pleasure doing business with you." Victor said with a bow to Silas and his Sky. The gypsy brought himself in closer to them one last time, whispering even more quietly as he did. "And, just a little word of warning; watch yourself on the way out."

Silas made no reply to the Gypsy, but instead turned to Sky.

"Come, my Sky," Silas voice urged her. Staying close to the Collector, the ghost followed. The small crowd that had gathered retreating when the Collector stepped back into the hall. Without a glance around, Silas with his chains hanging from his arms and Sky swimming in the air at his side, they made their way back through the maze of shops to the lift. Aware the entire time of the eyes continuously watching them from behind. Their steps shadowed.

"We are being followed." Sky's voice whispered into his ear.

Once rounding several corners from Victor's Galipot, the elevator within sight, Silas stopped. Whispers in the hallway hushed when Silas went still, Sky circling around him. Her eyes cast back the way they came. The look in her gaze was a stare of warning to the one who was now standing not a stone's throw behind them. One they both recognized. The Collector turned, swivelling back on his heels as a swirl of shadow followed in his movement. The black aura flickering from his body like the flames of a fire.

An ivory suit centered in the Collector's black vision. There was only a split moment for their eyes to meet before that white became a blur rushing forward towards him. Silas raised his arm fast, blocking the oncoming attack of a swinging baton aimed at the side of his head. Blocking the metal rod's onslaught, Silas stared at the one whose height nearly rivalled his own.

It wasn't an Other. No. This was a Divine. An Angel whom they knew very well.

Sky's defense was fast. With a hiss, her hair raised on the back of her neck, she charged the newcomer in a glide through the air. The attacker took a step back. With eyes narrowed, they readied the baton again, this time an electric spark igniting at its end before jabbing it towards the ghost girl. Electricity. A ghost could feel it and just as it did to a physical body, it immobilized. Quick, the Soul Collector was at Sky's side and then before her, putting himself in line with the attack. He dropped the chains, the links alive and rising up by their Master's command.

Grabbing for the metal truncheon before contact with her spectre could be made, Silas pulled the attention of their attacker back to him. The Devil in his shadow.

"A waste of time." Silas said. The emptiness in his voice portraying the annoyance he still had when being confronted at such a crucial time.

"Don't think me a fool, Silas Meier," the attacker in white spat, hate twisting his voice and his wide eyed stare. Face to face with the Collector, he pushed against Silas with a force to rival the man in black. Handsome, cunning and as unhinged as he was ruthless. This was far from the first encounter they had with this particular Divine. With a grip remaining firm against his ivory enemy, the Collector was unfazed even as the rod's end sparked against his strength. He would not be moved, despite the weakness that pulled at his limbs after giving his blood to Victor. Even with his attacker at his throat, near-frothing with a clear hate for Silas's core, Silas would not back down. "I've heard the rumors. I know what they mean."

It didn't matter what they meant. Fighting in the Dark Markets was frowned upon as it was very bad for business. If they continued, it usually meant the involvement of more Others.

"Rathaneal, stop!" Sky said but the rules of the Others didn't apply to The Divine. The Divine and the Fallen made the rules for the Others.

Everything went still.

The one in white cast a glance past Silas shadowed face to that of the ghost.

"Stop?" He seethed, insulted by her words. "Sky, you know very well why I can't do that. Your judgment on the matter is, and has always been, clouded."

Silas' eyes tapered to thin slits. A thorn in the Collector's side. This Divine always rearing his head as a persistent annoyance. Rath had pursued Silas for the entirety of his career. Silas owed Heaven, having robbed the one sitting at the opposite end to Lucifer. Rath had been assigned to retrieve what had been allocated to Heaven only to find himself caught in a deadlock. As Silas was under direct contract with the Devil, there was nothing Rath could do until Silas' Contract was complete. Under Lucifer's word, Silas was the rightful owner of what he stole and Rath could not return to the Divine Authority until his job was finished. Thirty four years of being stuck on the doorstep of Heaven and Hell in the world of the Others was beginning to affect his patience and sanity. Not all Angels handled extended period beyond their own realm well. Everything and everyone in that world was somehow below them. Most Others were vermin. Second hand children of Lucifer.

"I know what's happening," Rath seethed. "Your Contract will be done soon, whether you survive it or not. And when it's over I will be right there, waiting to take back what is owed. One fact is for certain. You will lose everything. And it's sad, really. After all you've done to thwart death. It will all be taken away from you in the end."

Silas pushed him back but the Angel easily caught his balance.

"He is not dead yet," hissed Silas.

"A bold statement from a soulless thief with no sense of self." Rath's words seeped with the poison of his disgust for Silas' corruption. Just looking into his black eyes made him sick. The silence in the hall never once was broken by any other voice as the stare of dozens of pairs of eyes, some single and some blind with perfectly capable hearing listened in on every word.

Sky was peering over Silas' shoulder from behind.

Silas said nothing but his shadow said all. Having come to life, tendrils reached for Rath who was continuing to throw his words. When Sky swam closer, ready to defend her keeper, Silas motioned his hand to her to stay her advance. Turning back towards the elevator with the chains close, he truly had no time to waste.

"I'll be there when it's your end, Collector!" Rath's voice called from behind, but again Silas made no reply. When he turned, Sky still at his side, his black eyes remained on the Angel who hadn't moved but remained livid in staring back.

The doors closed and there Silas was left again alone with Sky beside the elevator operator who always remained silent and staring forward. When the doors shut, Silas' balance wavered. He stumbled, holding out his hand to the elevator's metal wall to regain his balance.

"Silas?" Sky voice was apprehensive with concern for the man in the black suit.

"My Sky, let it be," The Collector said, a deep breath leaving him. He pushed the dizziness from his mind, knowing the root cause was Victor's payment. It was just suspiciously coincidental Rathaneal had been waiting for them.

Sky said not another word as the elevator screeched its way to the surface, both emerging back through the door of the alley from the depths of the Dark Markets to the dark of night.

"They will find this one and my Sky, that is assured," Silas said, not bringing up the encounter with Rath again. It was best to forget trivial matters. Faust was the focus of the Collection, not an Angel who couldn't mind his own business. "Faust is everywhere and nowhere at once. Certainly but a thought would bring him into existence."

Sky's eyebrows furrowed as she didn't appear to understand what Silas meant.

"Follow your Silas into the darkness where lies their freedom." The Collector was calm and composed in light of the darkness looming in their path. A side effect of having no soul. He looked to the ghost chained to him, his gaze pulling her after him as he began to walk. The chains rose to float around them once he regained his composure in the night air. He would find the ones they sought and they would fear him.

Even if he was the last, it would not be his end.