"Absolutely not," I declared as I wrapped my arms around Rory, Lupa, and Liza before dragging them back into my bedchambers and away from the balcony. There would be no way I'd stand by while they fell off to their deaths after all Prince Nikolas' and my attempts to protect them.

"Awww, I wanna see the stars," Liza complained loudly.

"I'm bored," Rory added, "Why can't we see?"

"She's gone mad, too," Lupa concluded with a small glare. In response, all of my siblings looked at me unhappily.

"You're right, I'm known as the Mad Heiress here," I said before raising my hands into claws and hissing loudly. Apparently, I wasn't as scary as I'd hoped because they all ended up devolving into laughter instead.

I sat back with a sigh.

"Do we really have to leave soon?" Rory asked, once again unhappy.

If I thought about their departure which would be tomorrow, tears would begin to build in my eyes. I didn't want my family to leave, but it was unreasonable to think they could stay here with me for a long time. Father alone had an entire estate to run, along with several businesses and his family. Sylvia helped with some of the smaller affairs. And this was no place for humans, much less children. I patted Rory's head fondly.

"I'll see you all again. And you'll come for my wedding, right?" I asked and received three loud responses of affirmation and joy.

"Rin," Father's voice called out from the other side of the bedchamber next to Sylvia. They had been in deep discussion for some time. I stood in response to his call. "I need to speak to you a moment, in private. Can we speak in the other room?"

"Of course. Follow me," I said to him obediently. I led my father from my room and stepped across the hall towards the waiting room. Gio was standing nearby the waiting room door, but I didn't bother to tell him to go further away. I didn't know how far a daemon's ear could hear and I'd rather safety over privacy at this point.

Once we were alone in the room, my father stood before me silently for a moment. His sapphire blue eyes were reflected along my own mirrored eyes, but otherwise we held differences. His tawny brown hair was set perfectly, but his hairline was beginning to recede. And he showed clear signs of beginning to age, much more so than when the last time I saw him in Numa. Had he been stressed this whole time because of me?

"I won't even begin to question the things the Prince may have done to you by now... or the horrors you've had to endure since you've been away," Father began with a shaky voice before hardening and clearing himself of emotion, "It doesn't matter. I want you to come home with us." I was stunned by his statement.

"I-I can't," I said simply.

"The King has already given permission. We'll go home. And then we'll run to the far side of Numa. I have a house waiting for us along with new identities. Our lives won't have to be too different and the children will grow used to the changes as long as you're there with them," Father continued explaining as though he had plotted this idea since the day I'd been taken away.

I knew the King had already said I could leave whenever I want, so this wasn't a surprise. But I hadn't known that Father would be so prepared as to already have new identities and a place for us to run away to. It was tempting to go back with my family, true. But something else captured my heart to the point that I felt a tear between the two; my family or Prince Nikolas.

"I... I won't," I corrected my earlier statement with much hesitation.

Father looked surprised. "You won't?"

"I won't because I'm in love," I elaborated, my face burning red at the confession.

"With who?" Father asked, bewildered. I wanted to laugh, but I only became redder.

"With the Prince," I managed just barely.

"The Mad Prince? The one who kidnapped you in the middle of the night from home? Have you gone-" Father began to lecture, but I interrupted swiftly with a fresh anger on my heart.

"Mad? Perhaps, father, but we are engaged. He hasn't inflicted me with horrors... he's helped me, knowing what I am, and protected me when I'm in danger. And so, yes," I finished with a huff of air before continuing quietly, "I'm mad and I love him."

Father stared at me for a moment, obviously plotting on whether he should kidnap me back home or not, but then seemed to decide on letting me go with a deep sigh.

"Then, should you change your mind in the future, you know you have an out and I'll always be ready. Understood?" Father asked of me firmly. I suddenly felt choked up, tears burning in my eyes knowing that my father would have this plan saved for when I need him in the future.

"I understand," I responded before stepping forward to embrace him in a hug.

"Eat more food. You've lost weight. And that dog of yours doesn't look very safe. You should look into giving him another home," Father began to scold me as I cried in his arms, his tone soft and loving despite his criticisms. I laughed at his comment about Prince, imagining the reactions of any person who would be asked to take care of him. Prince was stuck with me forever, I imagined.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the distance, followed by a louder crash and terrible growling that roared in the halls. Children screamed and that was all I needed to be knocked from my surprise. I burst from the waiting room to find Gio and one other guard blocking me and my father from moving further.

"Stay back," Gio said, his arm out and his shadow blade in his other hand as he watched the door to my bedchamber. I felt entirely panicked.

"Gio, what's happening? Why are the children screaming?" I asked quickly, moving to go under his arm. Before I could make one step, Gio wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me tightly against him, blocking me with his blade and his grip instead. I stood frozen for a moment, thinking he was threatening me and recalling that same blade nearly striking me down, but then I realized he was protecting me with the blade from any threats that might come from my bedchambers.

"Someone or something broke into the room. The other guards are there already. If the children are screaming, it means they're alive," Gio tried to calm me while he watched the door determinedly. There was more crashing along with a larger growl. "The beast has stopped whoever it is. The guards are trying to talk the beast down, now. He seems to want to fight more."

"Let me in," I requested against Gio's chest.

"Your mother was injured," Gio stated, making me jump with the words 'your mother'. I'd never called Sylvia mother, though I wasn't sure why. Sure, she never treated me exactly as she did her own children, but she cared for me while sick and was there for me when I needed it. I didn't correct Gio, though. She was injured?

"Let me in," I repeated, though less of a request and more of a demand at this point. Gio released me carefully and I quickly ran to my bedchambers, opening the doors to see the chaos of my bedroom. Fabric and items were torn and shattered everywhere. My bedroom window had been broken open. And blood splattered across the room up to the walls. I felt faint for a moment, imagining it to be Sylvia so injured, but she sat in the arms of a guard answering his questions quietly.

The children were all hugging each other near the fireplace, the only area of the bedroom entirely unhurt. And in front of them was a larger Prince than I recalled seeing before, standing furiously taller than the guards before him with the body of a daemon in his mouth covered in blood. The guards of the children were trying to get him to let them past, but he stood like a dragon before the tallest tower; protecting his treasures.

"Prince," I said his name without fear or gentleness; gratitude would be more accurate. Prince froze at my words, turning to look at me. "You did a great job, Prince. Drop the daemon. He can't hurt anyone anymore." With a huff, Prince dropped the bleeding corpse onto the floor and then took a step towards me, growing smaller in size as he approached me. It was intriguing to see. Had he really grown this much?

The guards went for the children, asking if they were okay, while I ran my hand through Prince's fur adoringly. He'd protected my siblings, just as I had asked him to. I was grateful to him. What if they had been hurt along with Sylvia?

I turned back to Sylvia now that the children were okay and approached her slowly. She hadn't been healed; the wound a deep gash across her stomach. I looked from her to the guard holding her hesitantly.

"Can't she be healed?" I asked uncertainly.

"The assassin used a shadow blade. It will have to heal naturally," The guard told me, "I'll put her on your bed, if that's okay with you, Lady Corrine?" I nodded as the guard did so before stepping back to look around the room.

"Go to Prince Nikolas and tell him what's happened," Gio ordered Sylvia's guard swiftly and he left without a word. Gio then addressed Father's guard, "Get a doctor. It'll need to be stitched and treated." The guard left under Gio's words.

"You three," Gio pointed to the children's guards, "Take the three children to their rooms so they don't have to see this man here like this. I'll remain here with the beast to watch for any further attacks." After they left, it was just my father, Sylvia, Gio, Prince, and I left in the room.

I leaned against the bed, holding Sylvia's hand in my grasp. Her hand was covered in her own blood and I wondered if Gio was more concerned about the daemon's growing hungry around her. I couldn't think beyond the gash on her stomach though. What if she bled out?

"Oh, Sylvy," Father moaned, grabbing her other hand gently. Sylvia winced with pain, but didn't cry out otherwise.

"Rin, he was here for you," Sylvia told me through clenched teeth, "He attacked me, then asked where you were. Threatened the kids, but then the... the large dog got involved. Someone was trying to hurt you, Rin. You have to be careful."

It was the second assassin sent after me. I didn't want to tell my family this though. I also didn't want Sylvia to be forced to stay here longer due to this injury. If anything, I thought while holding her hand in mine, I'd rather have been the one to get hurt than her.

As though I had spoken an irreversible wish, my skin suddenly started to glow lightly; a heavenly glow that told what I was even if I didn't wish to tell. Sylvia was the only one looking at me at first, but then Father looked next by the time my eyes were a bright molten gold.

"Rin, check your emotions," Father said in a hushed tone.

"I'm... I feel fine," I responded, bewildered. I released Sylvia's hand, looking at my hands in front of me as they grew brighter before me. I crossed my arms over my chest defensively, looking up at Gio who stared at me as though lost in time. "Gio-" I began.

The door burst open and Niko stepped in, almost allowing what guards he had with him to follow. But his eyes immediately landed on my form and he slammed the door shut behind him firmly. Then he was suddenly before me, lifting me up to stand before him.

"Are you hurt? Why do you look like this?" He asked, his eyes raking over my form for injuries.

"I don't know. I-" I suddenly tensed as I got impossibly brighter, and a deep pain began in my stomach. It was slow and surprising, but then too much as it trailed over my stomach. I inhaled sharply, "Niko, it hurts." And then I screamed.

On my stomach, a deep gash was appearing violently, echoing the manner in which Sylvia had received it. And on Sylvia, her own wound was disappearing while she was growing stronger from my own energy. When it was done, I had lost my use of body and lied uselessly in Niko's arms. Sylvia got off the bed in confused wonder while Niko had me take her place with an unexplainable look.

"We are not alone," Niko said to everyone in the room, "Do not speak a word or I will be forced to strike you down." The threat was unusual coming from Niko, but even I knew he could just wait for Kol to come out and exact any revenge he might need.

~...~

When I woke up, I was no longer in my own bedroom. Instead, I was lying in sleepwear on a large bed in Niko's main bedchamber shrouded in shadows. A dim light was left on so that I could see the massive room, scaling from his massive bed to a desk overflowing with paperwork, down to his sofa and seating area.

I made to roll over from my back, but the pain at my abdomen was enough to cripple me. I gasped, reaching to grasp at the wound in pain.

"Don't move so much," Kol's voice rang out from the distance. I tensed at his familiar voice. I looked from the bed to the room around me, but I didn't see him.

"Where are you?" I asked timidly.

Suddenly, Kol appeared above me, shrouded in shadows in a similar way from when Prince would appear after disappearing in the shadows. So this was shading in a daemon. I was momentarily intrigued. I lifted my hand until I could try to touch the shadows that seemed to cling to Kol, but my hands only went through air. I smiled briefly, but then frowned at his form above me.

The last time I'd seen him, he had broken my heart. I could still feel the cold terror when Kol had demanded Gio to strike me down. For every fear I had when I looked at Gio, there was blame to be placed on Kol's commands. I frowned, looking away from him.

"You're upset," Kol mused, though he seemed to know why I was upset already.

"I was thinking of the last time I saw you," I confessed anyway, refusing to look at him in fear of seeing him turn back to the less caring Kol and more dangerous. But suddenly, my hand was being pulled into his and I turned to face him to find him just above me as though about to kiss me.

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you," Kol explained slowly, frowning at himself, "I'm... I'm... I was jealous." I almost laughed at his failed attempt to apologize, but was able to keep it in. For some reason, something about Kol made me feel very forgiving. Had I always been this type of person?

"I keep remembering how close he'd gotten. I really thought...," My words choked in my throat as I spoke honestly and I couldn't continue. I felt my mood darken into sadness and said quietly, "And I had brought a present for you with me."

Kol frowned with frustration towards himself. He moved away from me, sitting back so that he was no longer crowding me.

"What shall I do for you then, Rin? What can I do to make you forgive me?" Kol suddenly didn't sound much like himself at all. I aimed to sit up, but my stomach ached painfully and I was left where I lied. "Tsk. Stop trying to move."

"Come closer to me," I pouted unhappily. Kol did as I asked, sliding next to me before perching on his hand with his elbow against the pillow. Now that I could see him better, I felt ready to tease him further. "I'll forgive you if you say you're sorry." Maybe I was not very forgiving after all. Kol looked pained, but submitted with a sigh.

"I'm," Kol began before pausing for far too long of a time to seem normal. He looked like he was battling a great war with himself, but after some time he finally continued, "I'm sooooorry."

Kol dragged the word out enough so that it very nearly seemed sarcastic, but I knew this would probably be the closest to an apology I would get.

"I forgive you. And please don't be jealous. I belong to only you... and Niko," I stated hesitantly.

"Ha, Niko," Kol said the name with clear jealousy on his tone, "He opened my gift and touched my fiancée."

"I'm his fiancée, too," I reminded him with a smile before reaching to touch Kol's face lovingly as though I could wipe away the dangerous look appearing on his features. "The gift was yours, too. So that means you owe me a wish."

"What do you want?" Kol asked immediately as though he were willing to give me anything on command. It surprised me momentarily, but also made me want to ask the world of him. However, I settled on something small.

"Will you kiss me?" I requested quietly, feeling shy suddenly.

Kol snaked his way until he was above me once more. Then he leaned forward and clasped his lips over mine heatedly. I parted my lips, lifting my chin to deepen the kiss eagerly, but Kol was restraining himself. Only after I lifted my arms to wrap around his neck did I remember the agonizing wound on my stomach that made any significant movement feel like sharp daggers throughout me. I gasped painfully against Kol's lips and he moved away slowly.

"You learned transference," Kol mumbled unhappily, "You should've just let the woman heal from this like normal. This is exactly how Seraphim end up getting themselves killed." Kol lectured me with frustration.

"I didn't-" I gasped when Kol's hands ran over my legs to my knees and abruptly pulled them apart before him. A deep blush spilled over my skin which he watched with satisfaction.

"You didn't what?" Kol asked me innocently.

"I-I didn't mean to," I began, pausing to whimper when Kol dragged the fabric of my sleeping gown up over my legs, above my hips, and just above where the cut was left stitched together on my abdomen. Before I could say anything further, he leaned forward to run his tongue over the line of the cut hungrily.

I winced at his action, but the pain was small in comparison to the heat pooling between my legs. I immediately aimed to close my legs, but Kol was already between them. A growl formed low in his chest as he felt my movement, and he gripped my knees before forcing them even wider apart before him.

"Should I stop," Kol inquired much unlike himself as his hand began to caress the apex of my thighs. I shuddered under his touch, yelping when his fingers were pushed delicately into me searchingly. I wanted to wriggle, to move my hips either against him or away, but my wound would flash with sharp pain each time I tried to move.

"Please don't stop," I pleaded warmly.

Kol suddenly had grabbed me by my hips, lining himself up with me. I looked at him fearfully; afraid of the pain of my abdomen if he should decide to force himself inside me as he'd done before. He ignored my look and slowly pushed himself into me. I gasped, still not used to his size, as he filled me entirely, pushing deeper and deeper into me until he couldn't go any further without more force.

"You're so unbelievably tight. I could stay like this forever," Kol sighed happily. I blushed at his words, tensing as he spoke of me so vulgarly. As I tensed, Kol sighed again, his muscles tensing as well. "Keep teasing me and I'll fuck you without concern for your injuries, Rin."

I hesitated, but then purposely tensed, tightening myself over his member as much as I was able to. It felt amazingly good, but the consequence was immediate. Kol pulled out as I kept tight around him, and he huffed before restraining himself. Then he slowly pushed deep into me.

"You're testing me," Kol growled before grabbing spare pillows. He carefully put them under my hips and bottom so that I was lifted to him, and he pulled my legs tight together before placing them over one of his shoulders. "There. Try to close yourself to me all you want."