PUBLISHER
https://spsilverpublishing.com
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Dear Reader,
Thank you for your purchase of this title. The authors and
staff of Silver Publishing hope you enjoy this read and that
we will have a long and happy association together.
Lodewyk Deysel
Publisher
Silver Publishing
http://www.spsilverpublishing.com
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
1
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER ONE
"Shhhh…"
Soothing murmurs, achingly familiar, set off tiny
alarm bells within him and yet, the comfort won out over
any other emotion.
A hand softly stroking his hair, rubbing his chin,
and a sweet kiss planted on the bridge of his nose.
"Don't try to move yet," the man's voice continued,
"You're still too weak. You need to give yourself more time
to heal."
Velvety sheets caressing his naked body; his head
cosseted by the softest pillow he had ever had the pleasure
of lying on while his essence quivered with joy and dread.
Friend.
Foe.
No, friend!
His dazzled mind tried to decipher what was going
on but no matter how hard he tried, struggling internally
like he had never done before, nothing he did could make
him stay conscious for more than a few seconds.
"Don't squirm," the teasing voice said, "Just relax.
You're safe."
He knew whom the voice belonged to, Kai was
2
Being Human Anna Marie May
sure, but for the life of him, he couldn't connect the dots.
At least not yet, and so he drifted back into uneasy
dreams, into memories of pain and torture by those he had
once considered his friends and family.
"Kai!"
He turned when he heard his name, a smile on his
lips, but the pleasant feeling quickly vanished when he was
grabbed and subdued.
As he was held down, face pressed into the floor, a
knee firmly lodged into the small of his back, one of his
attackers snarled, "You're a disgrace to our family."
"What?" he protested, "What are you talking
about?"
"Take it easy, Raphael," someone else said. Kai
didn't recognize the voice.
He craned his head, nearly breaking his neck in the
process, to see who else was here. This wasn't right; surely
someone would come to his rescue?
Raphael didn't take it easy. At least Kai assumed the
vicious kicks to his side were coming from Raphael. Pain
shot through his body like cascading ocean waves and he
couldn't quite suppress a whimper.
"And you're telling me this pathetic excuse of an
angel is one of the keystones?"
"He's been named."
3
Being Human Anna Marie May
4
Being Human Anna Marie May
5
Being Human Anna Marie May
6
Being Human Anna Marie May
7
Being Human Anna Marie May
8
Being Human Anna Marie May
9
Being Human Anna Marie May
10
Being Human Anna Marie May
from the leer on his face, Kai made a mental note to look
into the term bondage. "And you know," he said with a
wink, "there's also the added advantage of something called
hellfire. Truly, the angels don't know what they are
missing!"
Kai very much doubted anyone would be missing
anything which originated from Hell but hey, maybe all the
centuries spent in confinement had warped Lucifer even
more? His sense of humor had always been kind of
peculiar, challenging everyone and everything around him,
and Kai doubted he would've mellowed over the years. If
anything, he'd probably only gotten worse.
"So, you could fall by being reborn, never
remembering you were an angel," Lucifer recapped what he
had said before in case Kai's memory was faulty. Kai
leveled a glare at his friend. As usual, Lucifer ignored him.
He continued with his little history lesson. "You could get
banished, like me, but that's only happened once."
Here, Lucifer took a moment to actually look
accomplished, as if being thrown out of Heaven was
something to be proud of. Kai rolled his eyes in
exasperation.
"The Forsaken, on the other hand, chose to banish
themselves, favoring humanity over their duties, wanting to
put the interest of humans first even if their orders had been
11
Being Human Anna Marie May
different."
Kai chose to stay silent, not wanting to interrupt
Lucifer because this was turning out to be interesting after
all.
"Remember the five cities of the plain? Sodom and
Gomorrah?"
When Kai nodded, the devil continued. "Well, let's
just say, some angels disagreed with the orders. Back then,
we walked among humans more freely than in recent
centuries and apparently those angels were rather attached
to those cities and to the people in them. They didn't agree
with the judgment passed down and for their troubles, for
their desire not to kill countless human beings, they were
exiled and imprisoned."
"Huh…" Kai mumbled. As interesting as the story
had been… what had been the point? As if Lucifer had read
his mind, he finally touched down onto the topic he had
been leading up to.
"You fell."
"I know!" Kai rolled his eyes. He might not like the
outcome but even he couldn't deny the proof any longer.
"Think about it!" Lucifer shot back.
Kai frowned but he did as told anyway. He fell. Oh!
A light bulb went off inside his head. "Normally, a fallen
angel would be reborn," Kai thought out loud, trying to
12
Being Human Anna Marie May
organize his thoughts. "But I’m not a baby… but I still fell?
How is that possible?"
"You managed a rare feat!" Lucifer hummed in
pleasure because Kai had finally caught on. "When your
other fellow, uptight angels butchered your grace. There's
hardly anything left of it. They clipped your wings and you
were this close to dying…" Here, the ever-helpful devil
held up his hand, spreading two fingers apart to show how
close Kai had come to the end of his existence. As if he
needed a reminder. "I think," Lucifer continued, "because
they failed to rip your grace away completely, this is why
you didn’t end up an infant. This is why, you’re still you…
somewhere caught between being fully human and an
angel."
"You saved me…"
"I did." Lucifer managed to look smug. "I entered
Heaven for you and let me tell you, I laid waste to those
who tried to harm you!"
If Kai had been under any illusion that his dear old
friend might've lost his cruel streak or his fighting spirit in
the pit, then this would've showed him how wrong he had
been. Lucifer thrived on conflict, on proving himself, and
when this was combined with his rare protective streak,
well, to say standing in the path of a tsunami wouldn't even
do it justice.
13
Being Human Anna Marie May
14
Being Human Anna Marie May
15
Being Human Anna Marie May
16
Being Human Anna Marie May
17
Being Human Anna Marie May
18
Being Human Anna Marie May
19
Being Human Anna Marie May
20
Being Human Anna Marie May
21
Being Human Anna Marie May
coincidences.
22
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER TWO
"Kai?"
No answer. At first, Alexander Markoff wasn't
worried because despite being good about coming when
called, Kai did have a life and it wasn’t always possible for
him to drop everything just because Alex needed him.
"Kai?"
He shifted his feet, looking down at his boots and at
the nervous tremble in his right thigh. It wasn't like him to
be this agitated but something simply wasn't right.
Everything inside him was screaming at him, telling him
this wasn’t like the other times when Kai had simply been
too busy to answer. And if he’d learned anything in his life
so far, then it was to listen to his gut instinct.
"Maybe he's busy," Ariella, Alex's younger sister,
pointed out.
"Thanks, Mrs. Obvious," was his snarky reply.
Ariella Markoff shrugged before her dark head was
once again bent over one of the many books spread out
across the table before her.
"He always comes though," Alex was still talking,
wringing his hands and he even took up pacing their small
living room. Age-worn furniture graced their home, ancient
23
Being Human Anna Marie May
24
Being Human Anna Marie May
25
Being Human Anna Marie May
26
Being Human Anna Marie May
27
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
28
Being Human Anna Marie May
29
Being Human Anna Marie May
30
Being Human Anna Marie May
summoning."
"Charming," Alex drawled. "So if things go sour,
I'll be the one in the hot spot."
Ariella only looked at him, silently asking him
what's wrong with that?
He grabbed his pot with the ground herbs from the
floor while she went to retrieve the heated oil. He then took
his place standing in front of the circle while she started
sprinkling the oil into its center.
"I don't know if this will work," she said quietly
when she was done.
"I know, sis, I know," Alex reassured her. "At least
we're trying… right?"
She made a sound in the back of her throat that
could be taken as an agreement so Alex decided to roll with
it.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves,
before saying, "Vocans vos in caelestis regni…" His voice
trailed off.
"Why did you stop?"
"Do you really think using a Latin summoning spell
is the right way to go?"
"Why not?" Ari asked. "What are you thinking?"
"Shouldn't we be looking for something older?"
"Haven't you learned anything by now?" Ariella
31
Being Human Anna Marie May
replied. "It isn't so much the word that carries the power but
the intention behind it. Sure, over the centuries, certain
phrases, certain spells have gained power because people
used them, people believed in them, but without a clear
path in your mind, you could be reciting all kinds of spells
and nothing would ever happen."
"Like it does for most folks," Alex mumbled.
"Of course," Ari retorted. "If it were as simple as
uttering the words, any weekend witch would be able to
wield magic and then where we would be? We'd be living
in chaos!"
"Alright then," Alex conceded. "I'll try again."
This time he intoned the entire summoning ritual,
completing it by sprinkling the herbs into the circle when
he was done.
Then he waited… and waited… His eyes found
Ari's, who stood across from him. She shrugged, clearly not
sure either if they had done it wrong or if no one was in the
mood to answer.
"Well," Alex drawled, shoulders hunched in silent
defeat. "This was rather anticlimactic…"
"How about instead of breaking down the door, you
simply ring the bell next time?"
Alex whirled around, body instantly poised for a
fight, years of training kicking in without a second thought.
32
Being Human Anna Marie May
33
Being Human Anna Marie May
34
Being Human Anna Marie May
35
Being Human Anna Marie May
36
Being Human Anna Marie May
37
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER THREE
38
Being Human Anna Marie May
39
Being Human Anna Marie May
also know how sensual you can be, you'll fall into bed with
someone sooner rather than later…"
Should Kai be offended or take this as a
compliment? He didn't know, so he chose to stay silent. His
appetite, though, was gone. He pushed the plate away from
him. "That aside, was there something else you wanted to
talk about?"
"The threefold war shall be fought in Heaven,
Earth, and Hell," Lucifer's tone was monotone, eyes cast
downwards, as if he was struggling to recall the exact
words. "The son of darkness shall lead the army rising to
meet them all."
"Excuse me?" Not the best comeback Kai had to
offer but it would have to do.
"You heard me," Lucifer replied. "Remember the
obscure text you were obsessing over for about a hundred
or so years?"
Kai nodded.
"Well, that passage stayed with me and unless I'm
mistaken, the war is upon us."
"The humans call the text the Dead Sea Scrolls,"
Kai added. "But they don't have a complete set. I believe
the exact phrasing is more like…" He closed his eyes,
casting his mind backwards until he found what he was
looking for. "The Prince of Light shall battle the son of
40
Being Human Anna Marie May
darkness and their armies will tear the world asunder until
the threefold war has cleansed the realms, both above,
beyond, and center and only shells remain."
Kai opened his eyes, finding Lucifer's intense gaze
on him.
"And who's the Prince of Light?" Lucifer spun the
conversation further. "Who's the son of darkness?"
"Er…" Kai stuttered. "Prince of Light? Michael?"
he offered helplessly. "Michael is the angel of death but
he's also called Prince of Light so I'd assume he's the one
who's supposed to the lead the armies of Heaven?"
"And you would assume I'm the Prince of Darkness
then?" Lucifer asked.
"Er…" What is this, a trick question?
"My name never changed," Lucifer stated, his voice
calm but his eyes ablaze. "I'm still the light bringer and
once upon a time, I was also called the Prince of Light. And
some new titles might include king of Hell or prince of lies
but when have I ever been called Prince of Darkness? Can
you recall any text, any words ever written where my name
was associated with the Prince of Darkness and him leading
the armies against the forces of good?"
Kai stayed silent. Then he gasped, fighting the urge
to smack himself over the head. "Then who the Hell is the
Prince of Darkness?"
41
Being Human Anna Marie May
42
Being Human Anna Marie May
43
Being Human Anna Marie May
44
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
45
Being Human Anna Marie May
War?"
"How come we've never heard of this war until
now?" Alex added. "If it was prophesied, shouldn't
someone have picked up on it?"
"Even in Heaven," Kai tried to explain. "The
Threefold War is nothing but an obscure reference. It was
sheer chance I stumbled over it…"
"Maybe not so much chance as destiny," Arielle
muttered. Everyone ignored her.
"What we need to focus on is finding this son of
darkness and putting an end to him before our three realms
really end up in a conflict none of us will win."
"He's right," Kai agreed, hiccupping. Was the world
supposed to spin? He was aware the Earth went around the
sun and the moon went around the Earth, or something like
it, but up until now, he had always thoughts humans
weren't able to actually feel or see the rotation…
"How about we call it a night?" Ariella changed the
subject. "I, for one, am ready to turn in. Good night."
Kai watched her get up, wondering how she could
manage walking with the ground moving this much.
"Hey," Alex said softly and Kai didn't resist when
he gently lifted his head, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
"Not your fault," Kai slurred. "How'd you bring me
46
Being Human Anna Marie May
back anyway?"
"Oh." Alex waved it off. "Apparently when I
latched onto you, I gave us a permanent bond, which is
why I could sense your distress. It's also why I was able to
summon you. You could do the same thing with me. I
could teach you…"
"Nungh…" Kai commented, his head falling
forward until it came to rest on Alex's shoulders. Comfy.
He snuggled closer, crawling into the Guardian's lap,
getting ready to go to sleep.
"I'm not a pillow!" Kai could hear Alex protest but
since there was no heat in the voice, he ignored him.
"Come on then, let's get you more comfortable if
you insist on sleeping here," Alex's voice barely registered
with him anymore but the sudden movements, his limbs
being forced into different positions, did.
"No…" he muttered, daring to open one eye.
"If you scoot further back, you can press yourself
against the back of the sofa… come on, man, you can do
it…" Alex directed him, and since the evil world was
insisting on continuing to turn, Kai closed his eye again to
black everything out.
He followed the directions until he was lying on his
side, his back pressed against the cushions with his head
planted on Alex's chest.
47
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
48
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
49
Being Human Anna Marie May
50
Being Human Anna Marie May
51
Being Human Anna Marie May
52
Being Human Anna Marie May
53
Being Human Anna Marie May
might've only dated him for who he was and for what being
with someone of the Markoff family would mean, but deep
down Alex knew the guy would've left him anyway. He'd
done him a favor by ending their relationship first. After
all, he hadn't been enough for Mathew. Despite all the
lovers he'd had, when it had counted, Mathew had sought
affection elsewhere and nothing screamed you're
inadequate more than those actions. Alex might be good at
what he did. He was a good leader of all the local families
and he took pride in his heritage.
But on a personal level? He was a failure. Why
would he inflict himself on Kai? And it wasn't as if the ex-
angel was actually interested in him. Kiss aside, he was
probably only discovering what it meant being human. And
if he gave in, if he let himself believe again, and then Kai
walked away…?
It would kill him.
But he would keep an eye out for Lucifer, just in
case. And no, he wasn't jealous at all. This was just a
precaution.
****
54
Being Human Anna Marie May
55
Being Human Anna Marie May
56
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
57
Being Human Anna Marie May
58
Being Human Anna Marie May
59
Being Human Anna Marie May
60
Being Human Anna Marie May
61
Being Human Anna Marie May
62
Being Human Anna Marie May
63
Being Human Anna Marie May
64
Being Human Anna Marie May
65
Being Human Anna Marie May
66
Being Human Anna Marie May
67
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER FOUR
68
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
69
Being Human Anna Marie May
70
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
71
Being Human Anna Marie May
72
Being Human Anna Marie May
73
Being Human Anna Marie May
74
Being Human Anna Marie May
75
Being Human Anna Marie May
chance.
"Yes," he agreed. "We've got a situation at our
hands and while Ariella is looking for information at home,
I thought coming straight to the source might be better."
"This is a Heavenly matter, then?"
"It is…" Kai agreed.
"Come in, son," the old man gestured and Kai's step
nearly faltered as the stepped over the threshold. Would a
former angel get smote on sight? Would hail and fire reign
down on him from Heaven? Or would he simply burst into
a pile of dust?
He took a deep breath, inching over the threshold,
holding in the air until he was inside, allowing the door to
fall shut behind him.
He squinted, body only slowly un-tensing but when
he exhaled, he decided he wasn't going to get killed yet. He
whispered a quick prayer of thanks, just to be sure.
"Our church is the oldest one in these parts." The
priest gestured for him to walk with him and Kai easily fell
into step with him. "We've only allowed for a few
modernizations." The man pointed at discreet lamps before
he continued, "but in our catacombs, where our documents
and books are stored, we're still relying on candles. I have
to ask you to be careful. Many books are fragile and the
tiniest bit of…"
76
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
77
Being Human Anna Marie May
78
Being Human Anna Marie May
79
Being Human Anna Marie May
80
Being Human Anna Marie May
81
Being Human Anna Marie May
82
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
83
Being Human Anna Marie May
84
Being Human Anna Marie May
85
Being Human Anna Marie May
86
Being Human Anna Marie May
87
Being Human Anna Marie May
88
Being Human Anna Marie May
89
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
90
Being Human Anna Marie May
91
Being Human Anna Marie May
92
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
93
Being Human Anna Marie May
94
Being Human Anna Marie May
95
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER FIVE
96
Being Human Anna Marie May
97
Being Human Anna Marie May
98
Being Human Anna Marie May
99
Being Human Anna Marie May
100
Being Human Anna Marie May
101
Being Human Anna Marie May
102
Being Human Anna Marie May
103
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
104
Being Human Anna Marie May
105
Being Human Anna Marie May
some precious herbs onto it, and then mutter a few words.
If she were indeed a fallen angel then the spell
would reveal what the traitors had tried to erase. If nothing
happened, then his sister would still be his sister but
unfortunately, they wouldn't have gotten any answers.
Either way, Alex thought, this was a no-win situation.
He caught Michael staring at his naked sister yet
again, so he elbowed the angel in his ribs. Through
narrowed eyes, he watched the angel look away.
"It worked!" his sister suddenly screamed, running
towards him, not caring about her nakedness at all.
"Put a robe on," Alex ordered, grabbing the
parchment, positioning his body in between her and
Michael and blocking the angel's sight.
Did the angel look put out?
"I can't read it." He handed the paper to Michael. "I
don't know what language it is…"
"It's handwritten," Michael said, his nose
scrunching up as he focused on the paper. "By the unnamed
prophet who first recorded the prophecy."
"So what does the guy have to say for himself?"
"He says," Michael continued, "every foretelling
has a wild card. A unique, unpredictable force that can tip
the scale either way. He drew a flower…"
Michael's breath hitched.
106
Being Human Anna Marie May
107
Being Human Anna Marie May
108
Being Human Anna Marie May
109
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
110
Being Human Anna Marie May
111
Being Human Anna Marie May
112
Being Human Anna Marie May
113
Being Human Anna Marie May
114
Being Human Anna Marie May
115
Being Human Anna Marie May
116
Being Human Anna Marie May
117
Being Human Anna Marie May
here…"
"Why?"
"Because," Lucifer gravely said, "Kai can also tip
the balance the wrong way. If he's forced to work with
Belial, then we stand no chance at all."
"He would never," Alex protested.
"Not willingly, no," Lucifer admitted. "But Belial is
old, ancient even, and as brave as Kai is, he's no warrior.
How long do you think he'll hold out against her?"
"He'll hold out," Alex gritted out. "He might not
have a sword or be trained in battle, but he is stubborn. He
won't give in."
"Anyone can be broken," Ari quietly pointed out,
which earned her a vicious glare.
"How did she know where to find him?" Michael
asked.
"I don't know," Lucifer confessed.
"Who is this Belial anyway? And why is she called
Prince of Darkness when he is a she?" Ari steered the topic
away to something a lot more productive and relevant.
"But for corruption though hast made Belial, an
angel of hostility. All his dominions are in darkness, and
his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt,"
Michael quoted. "It's in the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"He—" Alex corrected himself "—she's an angel?"
118
Being Human Anna Marie May
119
Being Human Anna Marie May
120
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
121
Being Human Anna Marie May
122
Being Human Anna Marie May
123
Being Human Anna Marie May
124
Being Human Anna Marie May
125
Being Human Anna Marie May
in tow.
"Don't! Whatever it is you're doing, stop!" she
screamed but he turned his back to her, plunging into the
small stream. If the ritual didn't work, he would end up
with wet feet and soaked jeans. If it worked, he would find
himself in a different world.
The task then would be simple: find the right door
and leave.
And this was exactly why his grandfather had
warned against the use of the spell. Sure, you could give it
a target, like he had done with Kai, but the transition wasn't
instantaneous. He would have to walk through the space in
between worlds, go where no one had gone before and find
the right door. It might take years, it might take forever, or
he might stumble through and find what he was looking for
straightaway. The point was, to his grandfather's
knowledge, anyone who had been stupid enough to try this
spell before had vanished, never to be seen again.
And yet, Alex thought this was an acceptable risk.
If he didn't do something to bring Kai back, Belial would
win. He'd rather be dead than see Kai destroyed.
There was only one acceptable outcome to this: he
would win.
126
Being Human Anna Marie May
CHAPTER SIX
127
Being Human Anna Marie May
128
Being Human Anna Marie May
129
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
130
Being Human Anna Marie May
131
Being Human Anna Marie May
132
Being Human Anna Marie May
133
Being Human Anna Marie May
134
Being Human Anna Marie May
****
135
Being Human Anna Marie May
136
Being Human Anna Marie May
137
Being Human Anna Marie May
an ice cube left out into the desert. Did this mean he was
easy? Well, who cared?
He tore at Alex's clothes, yanking and shoving, not
caring if fabric ripped along the way. Clothes were
replaceable after all, but if he didn't get to skin soon, he
might combust! Alex proved to be helpful, pulling back,
raising his hands so Kai could slip the shirt over his head.
His blond hair got messed up in the process and Kai
was so fascinated by the soft looking strands that it took
him a minute to figure out why Alex was tugging at his
shirt.
He laughed, pushing Alex's hands away, pulling his
shirt over his head, discarding it somewhere behind him.
His eyes feasted on Alex's smooth chest as if he was
a hungry man presented with an all you can eat buffet.
"Like what you see?" Alex teased. Kai watched in
fascination as his friend hooked his thumbs into the
waistband of his jeans, pushing them further down his hips.
He gulped, licking his lips, which brought Alex's
heated stare back to his face. Kai continued to watch as
Alex unzipped his trousers, letting them fall down his
muscular legs until they pooled at his feet.
"Tell me you want this," he said.
Kai opened his mouth, wanting to reply, but all he
could manage was a croak and a puff of hot air. He settled
138
Being Human Anna Marie May
139
Being Human Anna Marie May
140
Being Human Anna Marie May
141
Being Human Anna Marie May
142
Being Human Anna Marie May
143
Being Human Anna Marie May
144
Being Human Anna Marie May
145
Being Human Anna Marie May
146
Being Human Anna Marie May
147
Being Human Anna Marie May
148
Being Human Anna Marie May
night where they had touched intimately for the first time
and how it had ended badly with Alex running off in a huff,
claiming it had been a mistake.
"The last … the last guy I was with…"
Why did Kai find it so endearing when Alex
stammered?
"I wasn't enough for him," Alex continued. "I know
I didn’t get him killed. He did that on his own but yeah, I
wasn't what he needed…"
"Alex," Kai interrupted him, raising a hand to
indicate he wanted to say something. "I will admit that I am
new to being human but you're either an ass or you aren't."
This got Alex laughing softly.
"What I'm trying to say is: I really like you. I want
to try what humans call a relationship because I can't stop
thinking about you. I want to share everything with you.
You are the first thought that pops into my head when I
wake up each morning. Now, I don't know what the future
will hold but I can promise you the now."
Alex held his gaze, searching for something, and
whatever he had been looking for, he must've seen it
because a wide grin spread across his face. "I like you too,"
he said, crossing the distance and sealing his proclamation
with a heated kiss.
In Kai's experience, love needed time to grow, to be
149
Being Human Anna Marie May
150
Being Human Anna Marie May
The End
151
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Website:
http://www.annamariemay.com/
Facebook:
http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Anna-Marie-
May/100001772499983
Blog:
http://amariemay.blogspot.com/
Email:
amariemay@gmail.com
ALSO BY ANNA MARIE MAY:
Betting on Love
FALLEN ANGELS
Being Human
WATCHTOWER
Over The Rainbow (02 June 2012)
Over The Moon (23 June 2012)
Out of the (Werewolf) Closet (coming soon)
Icelands (coming soon)