I throw the fifteenth shell into the ocean and I watch as it skims the top of the small waves. I've been walking along the beach for most of the morning, Marina wanted to speak with me but I've been avoiding her. Christian, however, has this annoying gift of always knowing where to find me.

I slump down onto the sand and I push my knees to my chest, he joins me a few minutes later.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"I've been having second thoughts for the last seven or whatever months," I say, throwing another small shell into the water.

"What's bothering you? Is it the others? That was a lot for them to process last night, even I acted like that when you first told me."

"It's not just that." I take a deep breath, summoning the courage to admit what's really bugging me. "I'm finally at this stage of my life where I can wake up in a morning and not think about him. And when I do think about him, it doesn't hurt like it did. I'm not exactly madly in love with him anymore but before I get anywhere near that bell, I'll have to see him again."

"And you're scared of that?"

I nod. "I'm scared that if I see him then I won't be able to do it."

"That's what you're afraid of?" he says, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes, why?"

"Not the fact that he'll show up here starving and wanting to eat you?"

I grin, looking back to the ocean. "I'm not afraid of that. I've actually never been afraid of that since the first time I met him. We're only going to get one shot at this and that's an enormous amount of pressure."

"Because once he gives you your soul back, he'll have no trouble with killing you?"

I shrug. "Possibly. It's my soul that gives him these emotions and desires, that gives his brain the chemicals capable of feeling love towards me. But. . . I've felt his soul too. His real soul. It was kind and compassionate and there wasn't anything evil or bad about it."

"Aurora, you can't seriously believe that he's going to still care for you after this. The creatures cannot care. Like you said, they lack the chemicals that we have naturally."

I turn my face and smirk at him. "Then how do you explain Marina?"

He sighs, narrowing his eyes at the ocean. "I can't."

"Come on, Christian. Six months and you still don't trust her? Some creatures are good, you must see that by now."

"Fine, Marina is an exception," he says with light amusement. He hears a noise from the top of the cliffs and twists his torso to stare up at the line of creatures that have been there since I arrived. "Jesus, are they following you?"

"Yep. I think they're watching over me. It's weird."

"Just a little," he mumbles. "That huge lion is terrifying."

"Oh my god, Christian, look." I grip my hand around his wrist and he twists back. I point in the far distance to where a large whale is jumping into the air. It's enormous black body splats against the current and unleashes a giant splash.

"Is that a...?"

"A whale," I say. "A real whale."

"A pod of whales," he says. We both put a hand above our eyes to try and get a better look, there must be at least ten of them jumping into the air, it's like they're taking turns. "I've seen dolphins before but never anything that big."

I smile. "I guess I'm saving them too."

"Yeah." Christian turns and looks up at the cliffs again. "They don't seem interested in them."

"Marina said that they haven't explored the ocean yet. Maybe the difference between land and sea freaks them out."

"Changing from a lion to a fish would definitely freak me out."

I laugh. "This world is crazy."

I rest my head into his shoulder and we sit in silence for a few minutes watching the waves crash against the shoreline. I never thought I'd ever find a friend like Christian in this new world or someone that's even remotely close to a brother. Our connection will never die, this moment that we share together on this beach will forever live on.

"Remember when you used to make my dinner and bring it to my room?" I say. "I think you should do that again."

He laughs at the memory. "You don't get special treatment anymore, sorry."

"I better go find Marina, she's been trying to speak to me all morning," I say. I dust the sand off my jeans as I stand up.

"I'm going to stay here a little longer."

"Okay. I'll see you later."

I rub my hands together to get rid of the extra sand and I walk back along the beach, my shoes dangling from my fingertips. The hike up the cliffs is exhausting and I am panting when I finally reach the top of the path.

I reach the fence of the village and I hear Sarah's voice before I see her. She is still protesting against my choice, pacing around a group of them as they attempt to enjoy their breakfast. I don't have the energy to deal with her so I turn and head further into the rainforest. I find a comfortable spot beneath a large tree and I sit in peace for a while, listening to the creature-birds make singing noises above me.

"Where have you been?" Marina demands.

I pat a hand against my chest as I flinch. She appears out of nowhere, staring down at me with her arms folded.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Not everywhere," I mumble. "I was at the beach."

"You never go to the beach."

I shrug. "I felt like it today."

"Blake is here," she says. "He needs to speak with you."

I stand immediately, following her down a path through the trees. I can't hide my nerves. I bite on my nail as Blake waits for us in the middle of the forest. He always smiles when he visits but his face is serious today, stretched with a deep concern.

"Hello, Aurora," he says.

"Hi," I whisper. I stop biting my nail and I cross my arms anxiously. "What is this about?"

Blake stares at Marina. "You didn't tell her?"

"Yes, I told her."

"Has his hunger worsened?" I ask.

Blake nods while Marina looks at the ground sadly. "I have known Cain for a long time and I have never seen him like this. He's. . . I'm not sure what the translation is."

"He's deteriorating," Marina says. "Going mad."

"Yes," Blake says, looking back to me. "His hunger is for you and he knows that but he's putting himself through hell to resist it. He's lashing out at slaves, selling girls a day after he owns them, last night he was in your old room with a gas canister and a lighter. He was about to blow it to pieces because he wanted to rid the palace of every reminder of you. I stopped him in time but it wasn't easy."

I stare at Marina in confusion. She never mentioned any of this. She was at the palace two days ago, she must have known something wasn't right with him.

"You didn't tell me that," I say.

"I didn't want to worry you," she says. "But Cain. . . he's dangerous right now."

"That's why you brought the other animal-eaters here?" I say. "How long do we have?"

"Honestly," Blake says, taking a deep breath. "I'm surprised he's not here already. He's been fighting this hunger for a few weeks now, he hid it from me. It was subtle at first but now it's completely taken over. Your soul is screaming inside of him, Aurora. Not seeing you for six months has only made that worse. I tried to convince him to come here before it got worse but he almost killed me when I mentioned it."

My heart stings when I think about Cain being in pain or discomfort or anything close to hell. Why won't he give in? Why won't he come and feed from me? Is he afraid he won't stop? Or doesn't he want to disrupt the new life he promised me?

"Can you tell him that I want him to come?" I say. "Will that help?"

I don't want him to come. I don't want to see him, talk to him, or be anywhere close to him but I have no choice. It's the only way. I have to make him transfer my soul back and his desperation only proves that he might be willing to do that. Just like Marina said would happen.

"Aurora," Marina says softly, clearing her throat. "This type of hunger is what we usually feel when we're travelling between planets. And you know what happened when they all landed here. If there's still a part of you that cares for Cain, that loves him, and you allow him to feed from you to ease his misery then he will not stop. The connection might not stop him. He will kill you."

"Only you can decide," Blake says. "If you allow him to feed on you then you are choosing not to ring the bell. You are choosing to condemn your species and the connection will respect your choice."

"That's the risk," I say. "That's always been the risk. But I am stronger than you think, I won't let him feed from me."

They exchange a look that screams that they have no faith in me.

"I had feelings for him once but I don't anymore." I choke on the lie and they don't seem convinced by it. "Marina, you have been coaching me for this for six months. I am ready. I know what I have to do."

"Okay," she says. "I'll inform everyone to pack their bags. We might have to leave at a moment's notice. Cain could be here any day now; we need to start preparing. Fully preparing."

I nod my head, keeping it high as I act as though this isn't the tearing me apart. "Tell me what I need to do."