Throughout the rest of the evening, until Remi took a carriage back home, the Icix silently followed her around as if he was her shadow. At first he'd only been walking a few feet away from her, which made her uncomfortable, so she tried to put space between them. Somehow, he understood and didn't try get closer.

He also didn't try talk to her or anyone else, and it made her curious as to whether or not he could talk, and what he would sound like if he could.

Her house was in a clearing in the middle of a beautiful forest just a couple miles from the city. The trees were in consecutive lines. Many of the fruit trees were just beginning to bloom.

As they got closer, the clearing appeared. An impossibly large house sat in the middle of perfectly manicured grass, with a wide, winding smooth-stone pathway leading up to the entrance.

Various elaborate water fountains surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees trimmed into specific shapes filled the lawn. There was even a small pond off to the left, bordered by small, dark stones and filled with colourful, flashy fish.

As they passed the pond, she noticed that the Icix was no longer walking behind her. She turned around to see him crouching by the pond's edge, wings outstretched as he watched the fish dance and twirl to their little hearts' content in the crystal clear water.

Remi looked upon his wings in awe, unable to avert her gaze. His wings were at least three times as long as his body. If he were free, he could fly anywhere.

Then, without a word, the Icix stood back up and walked back over to her. He arched an eyebrow, as if he was surprised she was looking his way.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Remi said with a smile, though inwardly she felt quite nervous talking to him. It wouldn't take him more than half a second to snap her neck, though the bonding would probably stop him before he could hurt her. Still, knowing what he was capable of . . . it was terrifying.

She wouldn't let him see her fear, though. She wouldn't let it show.

His eyes flitted to her face almost in confusion, as if he didn't understand why she was speaking to him. Remi noticed for the first time just how dark his blue eyes were. They appeared to have entire cosmos inside of them, dazzling and sparkling.

Finally, he spoke. "Do you prefer my silence or my voice?"

She got her answer.

His voice was startlingly raw—deep, rich baritone with a slight drawl that prickled her skin.

"Answer when you like, or remain silent when you like. That's up to you."

His dark eyes narrowed in on her, wondering if her words were some sort of trick. Not believing she was being genuine.

That came to Remi as no surprise. Many masters preferred their slaves forever silent, and most would hang a slave for refusing to answer a direct question.

"Yes, they are," he finally murmured, and it took a few seconds for her to realize he was answering her earlier question about the fish.

Silently, Remi turned around and walked into her house. The Icix followed her, but still kept his distance. Although she preferred the space between them to be as much as possible, it also made her sad that the Icix was reading her expressions and doing exactly what he thought she would prefer, with no regard as to what he wanted.

"Ah, you're back!" a bouncing, blonde haired girl cheered enthusiastically, glancing around quickly before pulling her into a hug before she could even get passed the doorframe.

Remi returned it without hesitation. "Safire, my beautiful friend," she smiled, smoothing down a wayward strand of hair.

Safire's light, knee-length hair was naturally smooth and glossy, but sometimes after a long day of working in the kitchen, her hair lost a touch of its perfection. Sweat glistened across her few patches of tiny scales.

"Is everyone else still at the auction?" Remi questioned hopefully. She didn't want to run into any of her family tonight. They had been getting on her nerves most of the evening.

"They are! Besides little Kareem, of course," Safire grinned widely. "I've been cooking all day."

"Any luck?"

"Why don't you decide for yourself?" she chirped, taking Remi's hand and gently pulling her forwards.

Remi stopped her. "Another time, Saf. I've had a long day and want to retire for the evening."

The cook's eyes widened in sudden realization. "The auction. Oh, Remi, I'm sorry. I was so excited about myself that I forgot about you. Did your father get you one?"

Remi frowned slightly. "Yes, but he is only bonded to me." Usually slaves were bonded with every member of the household who was considered above them so that they wouldn't try to exploit a loophole and attack the masters who they weren't bonded to.

"That's odd," Safire commented. "Can I see?"

She nodded, stepped back out onto the porch and glancing at the Icix.

Safire's eyes widened comically upon seeing the tell-tale signs of his species: feathery wings, claws, a pointed tail, and pointed ears.

"That's . . . " the cook stammered, unable to finish. Her smile had disappeared.

Trying to steer her friend away from the terrible tales of his species to focus on him as an individual, she blurted, "This is . . . "

Remi stopped short. She hadn't even asked him for his name. Just because the little suited man had told her he didn't have a name didn't mean that was actually the case. Guilt churned in the pit of her stomach. She had acted no better than those she always looked down upon.

The Icix's eyes flared with an unreadable emotion. He clenched his jaw, clearly not wanting to divulge the information.

"Oh. You don't have to—" Remi began, but he cut her off.

"Killure," he said sharply, his entire body tense.

"Scary name for a scary person," Safire joked, managing a small smile. "Rem, could I talk to you for a moment?"

Remi nodded, following the hyper girl inside and closing the door behind them.

Safire shifted about on her feet nervously, then began pacing slightly. She opened her mouth to speak a few times, but nothing came out.

Remi raised an expectant eyebrow.

Safire's eyes widened. "Ah, yes! The thing I wanted to talk to you about. That is . . . well, where do you plan to have Killure sleep?"

His name coming from her mouth made it seem so much less dangerous than when he'd said it.

Remi pursed her lips, not really understanding the point of the question. All slaves slept in the same place.

"A room in the servants quarters won't do this time," she said with a wince marring her beautiful features. "He's terrifying to me, and if he's terrifying to me, then the rest of the servants will probably faint from fright."

Remi hadn't thought of that. Many of the other servants weren't human, but none were on the same, terrifying level as an Icix. If they caught wind of one sleeping next to them, complete and utter chaos would erupt in the household.

"You're right. Send blankets to my room and I'll take care of the rest of his accommodations in the morning," she nodded gratefully, before opening the door and motioning for Killure to come inside. He still appeared quite agitated, but came inside all the same.

"Good night, Rem," Safire called happily. In an afterthought, she added, "Good night, Killure."

She skipped away in the direction of the kitchen.

Remi led the Icix up a wide, grand stairway. The second floor was nearly as large as the main floor, and easy to get lost in if you didn't know your way around. Fortunately, Remi knew every hallway upstairs like the back of her hand, although she hadn't been in every room. There were simply too many of them.

She stopped at the top of the staircase, which made him stop in place halfway up and look up at her. "You gave your name even though you didn't want to."

"You asked," he fired back, his expression now aloof. She'd never seen someone with his unique features before. Skin so tanned it could be called light brown, and storming eyes that had seen far too many horrors.

"I also told you that you don't have to say anything you didn't want to say."

Killure gave her a lazy smirk, which made her do a double take. "I may be a slave, but that doesn't make me unintelligent. I know a lie when I hear one."

She shook her head at him, knowing there was no way to convince him otherwise. "It's easy to get lost, so try not to lose sight of me."

He followed her leisurely, with long strides. Each of his strides were as long as three of her own.

Her room was only a few hallways away, and they made it there in only a couple minutes. Remi could already feel a headache beginning to form, and her limbs felt sluggish and in need of a rest after the long day she'd had.

He hovered outside of her room when she stepped in, his expression bored. "Shall I guard outside your room throughout the night?"

Remi parted her lips in confusion. "Don't you need sleep as well?"

He stared right back at her, his eyes dark and intense, but didn't reply. Almost as if he thought she was making fun of him.

Although she didn't know if she could fall asleep with the embodiment of death sleeping in the same room as her, she would feel terrible if he didn't get any sleep while standing watch at her door all night.

Finally, Remi sighed. "No, come in. You need sleep too. I was going to set up the room next to mine for you, but frankly, I'm exhausted. It'll have to wait until the morning. I'm sure you're tired too."

He regarded her with an air of suspicion, but nevertheless stepped inside, tense and unsure of what she wanted of him. Unsure as to whether or not this was all some big ploy to get him vulnerable and then hurt him.

Most slaves would be whipped for not replying to their master's comment, even if it wanted a question.

Remi walked over to the large window of her room and pulled back the thick curtains. The moon shone brightly in the sky, and tiny stars twinkled around it, winking down at her from above.

Tiny lights flickered through the trees from the city beyond.

She could feel his heated gaze on her body from across the room, and when she turned to face him, his eyes lazily made their way back up her body. The air was heavy between them.

Feeling bold, Remi leaned back against the wall and allowed her eyes to take him in as well. His unnaturally symmetrical face with those full lips, strong jaw line dusted with a hint of stubble, and the swirling, churning cyclone of blue in his eyes. The broadness of his shoulders, his muscular arms and sculpted chest that both pressed clearly through his tight, long-sleeve black shirt, slim waist, and strong legs.

When she met his eyes again, the amusement flickering within them told her that he knew what she was thinking, but that amusement was also mingled with desire.

He swallowed hard, fingers thrumming against his legs at his sides as if he was doing everything in his power to hold himself back.

His tantalizing smirk, the tautness of his body, and his burning gaze all disappeared in an instant, leaving Remi chilly. With a hard set to his jaw, Killure regarded her without emotion now. "Perhaps I should go outside."

She could see it instantly. He was trying to get away because he knew it wasn't his place to have desires or wishes.

Remi went back to looking out the window. "How far away can you go before the bonding stops you from going further?" Remi asked without looking at him.

"You want me to go," he stated plainly after a few seconds of silence. Remi heard his light footsteps as he began walking to the door.

"No, I don't. If I wanted you to go, I would have said that."

"Then what did you mean, doll?" Killure asked in mock curiosity, inclining his head to the side.

Her eyes held his.

She was about to explain herself, but stopped short when she saw his eyes widen in a realization of some sort and a change come over him.

His body immediately relaxed and he offered her a tantalizing smirk. "Ah, that's what you meant. You should have said that you wanted to fuck me earlier."

In a lightning quick moment that her eyes could barely follow, Killure had appeared in front of her.

Remi froze in both fear and shock, before quickly shaking the fear from her eyes. No matter what he did, she would not show fear.

He was mere inches away from her, and his clawed hand was gently tilting her chin up so that she could look him in the eyes. Her neck almost hurt from how high she had to look up; he was so tall.

She could feel the intense body heat radiating from him, as if he was a furnace and she was about to get burned.

"Killure—" she broke off.

One muscled arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into him. Their bodies pressed tightly together, and Killure was pressing her back against the wall.

Remi bit her lip. He felt so good against her, and suddenly the layers of clothes between them felt like too much.

"Tell me how you like it, doll," he murmured in her ear, tracing soothing circles with his thumb on her lower back. "Whatever you wish. Do you like to be in control, or do you like to be dominated? Perhaps somewhere in between? Tell me, master, so I can please you."

"No," Remi replied simply, staring up into his eyes. She was sure he could see that her eyes told a different story than her words.

He took her reply for something else altogether. "Ah, you like to pretend you don't want it. I've only tried that a couple times before, but I'm up for it again if you—"

Remi looked him hard in the eyes, unflinching. "How long did you work for Madam Lementine?"

Killure's eyes widened as he quickly let go of her and took a step back. He glanced down at himself and then growled, "You think I'm dirty? I've had tests done. I'm . . . not."

Remi looked at him sadly. "That's not why I asked. I asked, Killure, because I want to know how long people have been telling you that you're only alive to serve, and that your wishes and desires don't matter."

His entire body tensed in surprise at her words, and he looked as though she'd struck him. He parted his mouth, as if to say something, and then closed it again, at a loss for words.

Remi nodded. "That's what I thought."

She walked over to him until they were only a couple feet apart. The air between them was charged and thick with tension. "What you want does matter. It may not have mattered to others, but it matters to me. You've been watching my reactions, changing your behaviour and doing whatever you think I want of you with no regard for what you want. That must stop."

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together in a thin line for a few moments before his eyes suddenly burst open and stared straight into hers with shocking, intense anger. "Stop messing with me, doll. What kind of jest is this supposed to be? That's what I want to know."

"I'm planning on cooking tomorrow. What is your favourite delicacy?" Remi asked him with a smile, ignoring his previous words and harsh tone.

"Doll, if you don't stop right now—"

"Pie, cake, strudels?" she pressed.

"I'm warning you."

"Tarts, perhaps?"

He gave her a feral grin. "Humans. Even better when they're alive, and I can chase them down before ripping them apart. Ooh, and the more terrified they are—"

"Stop," Remi ground out angrily. His words hurt her ears. "Just stop."

He appeared satisfied with the disappointment on her face.

A knock sounded at the door, and Remi hurried to answer it. Anything to get away from his terrible words.

"Yes?"

An older woman with a third arm gave her a smile. She nodded to the basket on the floor. "Your sheets and blankets, Miss Goldridge, as requested."

"Thank you," Remi whispered, a wave of exhaustion coming over her. She leaned against the wall for support. "Just set them up next to the bed, please."

As three servants rushed inside the room carrying the blankets and sheets, the older woman gave her a look of concern.

"Are you alright, miss?" she asked, wrinkle lines marring her forehead and the sides of her mouth.

"Yes," Remi managed a smile. "Just exhausted, is all." When she saw the three girls walked out with empty arms, she added, "Thank you. Good night."

A sudden thought hit her as she closed the door. The girls hadn't looked terrified.

"Your walk-in closet is quite large, though it was still quite squishy inside," Killure announced as he strutted out of her closet and leaned against the wall with crossed arms. A clean, white sock was stuck on his wing.

Remi brought her hand to her mouth in an effort to muffle her giggle.

Killure followed her gaze, crinkling his nose before flinging the offending item away as if it had a disease.

Remi held back a giggle, instead opting for a tentative smile. "I've brought a bed of sorts."

He glanced down in surprise to the vast array of sheets and blankets set up to look like a bed on the floor beside hers. He tilted his head to the side. "You're having a guest over?"

Wrinkling her brows in confusion, Remi shook her head. "No. It's for you."

Killure looked struck once again. "What am I to do with it?"

"You sleep in it, Killure."

He seemed at a loss for words, and his Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"I'm going to change, and then I'm going to bed," she said simply, disappearing into her closet and closing the door behind her.

She stripped off the dress she'd been wearing, and removed the silver loops from her ears and the matching silver necklace from her neck, setting them in their trays.

Left in only her undergarments, Remi grabbed her favourite nightgown—a beautiful white one made of impossibly soft silk—and pulled it around herself, tying the ribbon around her waist to keep it in place.

When she finally walked out, Killure still hadn't moved, but his dark eyes followed her every movement as she walked over to her bed, shamelessly taking in her entire body.

After giving him a shaky smile, Remi slipped behind the canopy, beneath the blankets of her enormous canopy bed. The canopy slightly obscured his frame, which also meant he couldn't see her very clearly either. For that, she was grateful. She'd never been in the same vicinity as a man while wearing as little as this before, and most definitely had never shared a room with one. If she owned anything for bed other than short nightgowns, she would have changed into that instead.

"Killure?" she called lightly as she relaxed into bed, allowing the tension to seep from her body.

"What is it, doll?" he replied coolly, though his voice seemed strained .

"The bed. It's there if you want it," she paused, trying to think of more to say, but settling with a simple "good night."

He never answered.

And, despite her earlier concerns about being too scared to sleep while he was around her, Remi quickly found herself giving in to slumber.

Even if the Icix found a way to kill her and she didn't wake up in the morning, at least she would have gotten one last good rest before dying.