Ari rose from the puffy cushions Kaval's servants placed on the ground for him. He could fall asleep they were so comfortable. More comfortable than anything he had sat on before. However, thoughts of Kaval kept him wide awake. He had not seen him since coming here.

"Where is Kaval?" Ari asked.

"Somewhere sleeping," Nis said while combing his hair.

"He has been sleeping for a long time."

"Well, that is what we do. Sleep," Nis yawned. "Something you should be doing right now."

"Is something wrong?"

Nis turned and faced Ari then. "No, should there be?"

Ari frowned and gazed at one of the many flickering candlelights. Nis was curt as he was invasive. He would never say anything he did not want Ari to know, but did it in a way that was unsuspicious and refined. Prying any kind of answers away from him would be challenging. The moment Ari tried to find Nis, he felt his breath on his ear sending small shivers down his body.

"Can I tell you something?" Nis said as he combed through Ari's hair with his fingers. Time and time again, Ari found it harder than the last to say no to him. He gave him such a pretty name and he did not want to be rude, but...

Nis coiled Ari's hair around his finger and whispered into his ear, "you are much too pretty to be slaying and chasing demons. Such a waste."

Ari whipped his head around to see him but Nis continued playing with his hair. His hair touched down to his shoulders now. He had never let it grow as long as it was before. Nolan would not have allowed it. Easy way to become prey to demons he said.

"It is what I know, and what I am good at."

Nis let a laugh escape him. "Good? Hardly. Maybe with the lessers... You cannot continue forward with the way you are now. You know this."

"I do," Ari admitted.

"There is a simple solution to your problem that I can give you."

"For what price?" Ari said holding his gaze this time.

Nis continued to stare deep into his eyes and smiled. "You may not like what you must give up in return." He gave Ari's cheeks a few light taps and loomed closer. " You see, everyone wants and wants and wants without ever expecting to give up something in return. It is a principle of equivalent exchange. One of the most simplest principles, really."

"I am aware," mumbled Ari. "Now what is it that you want from me?"

"I do love those eyes... "

"I am not giving them to you."

Nis sniffed and backed away. "Then Valy. Give me him."

Ari's eyes widened.

"He would listen to anything you say, after all."

"If you love him, as I thought you did, you would not force him to love you back in return."

"No, Sri, I do not want him to stay back here with me for such callous reasons. Has he not told you?"

"Told me...?"

"What he is...? What you are? Why he is with you?" As the confusion grew on Ari's face Nis broke out into fits of laughter. "You really do not know what he is, do you? Did he say it was for 'love'?"

Ari fell silent.

"Oh no-no-no, this is too good. This is too precious," Nis said through breaks in his laughter. "Oh, you poor thing. For some reason I cannot think to pity you."

Ari's heart sank in his chest. He did not want Nis' words to get to him, but they did. To doubt Kaval of all people– but he, like everyone else, did lie and hide things. However, there was no point in denying the doubt now growing in the front of his mind.

"Say... Sri, did Vinny try to kill him?"

Ari stared at him in silence. He did not want to show how shaken he became by his words.

"He did, did he not? Silly of him, really. He is not one to have his emotions cloud his common sense..."

His throat became dry. Every time he swallowed it was like swallowing a rock.

"Where is Kaval?"

"Oh, what is this? You mistrust me now? After all the answers I have given you? As I told you before, he is sleeping. You can only do one of two things when you need blood: Sleep or Drink. Which do you think he chose?"

"... Sleep."

"Good, I knew that brain of yours was still in use. He refused my blood because you did not like the idea of him and I together in that way."

Ari rose and glared down at Nis with clenched fists.

"Little did he know how severe the consequences for that choice would be... You should know by now that he would do nothing that you would not like or approve of. That is how bound he is to you. And here you worry about me keeping him here for unrequited love, but what of you? What is it that you call your relationship?"

"That is not fair," Ari said as his voice shook.

"You are so quick to paint me a villain, but look at you. Take a good look in the mirror and tell me what it is that you see."

Ari unclenched his fists and turned to walk away. He had enough of his words.

"Go on and leave. Cool off your head and then come back," Nis chuckled as he looked at his fingernails.

Ari closed his eyes and grimaced at the sound of his voice.

"You will be back. ...They always do come back."

As soon as Ari slammed the door shut he banged his fists against it. Kaval meant the world to him and to have someone pick holes at his feelings towards him angered him. Nis had no right. None whatsoever. So what if he had given him the answers to his questions. He could find the rest elsewhere.

Everything Nis said bothered him and ate away at him. With the mention of Auovin, Ari just could not stomach anymore. Ari bit down hard enough on his bottom lip that it bled. He already felt insecure enough in his relationship with him. He barely understood Kaval and yet said he...

Enough with it. He did not come here for self-doubt and self-loathing. Nis would not get his way. He had to keep a level head. If he did not, he would be letting Nis win. That was the reaction he was hoping to get from him.

Ari licked his cold chapped lips and hugged himself tighter. He took in a deep breath and exhaled after a few seconds. Soon he stormed back inside the room with a grinning Nis sitting, waiting as if he already expected this from him.

"Back so soon?" Nis said.

"I am not running away anymore."

"Good."

"So tell me, what is Kaval really?"

Nis patted a spot near him, beckoning Ari closer. All of his body was telling him no, not to approach any further but he ignored it and sat down by him.

"Valy is a traitor. Keeper, Guardian, what have you. The name has changed throughout time, but a traitor is what he is. He took the human's side long ago." Nis closed in what little distance sat between them and said, "As a betrayer to his kind, he helps keeps the powerful demons at bay by what ever means necessary."

"I would not be one of them..."

Nis cupped his chin in his hand. "I beg to differ. Distance yourself from him for awhile and you will see your powers flourish."

"What?"

"Do not let him take anymore of your blood."

Ari snatched his face away from him with furrowed brows.

"You and I both know slaying demons is not your purpose. How many times must I tell you?Throw away that mask you wear. It has cracks."

Ari rose from the cushion in horror, but Nis held on to his wrist. "Look at it. It does," Nis hissed. "Stop with this relentless ruse. Free yourself from others expectations. Embrace what you are and who you may become."

Ari stopped trying to tug away and let his words sink in.

"You know I am right."

His slid from his wrist to his his fingers and brought him closer. "You must realize what I must have done to pry you away from that god-forsaken order and bring you here. But here is not where I wish you to be."

"Despite your words. Despite how much truth is breathed into those words, I still very much care for him. Nothing will change that, and I cannot leave and abandon him here," Ari mumbled.

"I see why Vinny was taken in by you. Such willful ignorance. Tell me, how did it feel to see the life of that priest fade away from his eyes? Did you enjoy it?"

Ari swallowed hard.

"You did, did you not?"

"He was terrible to me," Ari reasoned.

"What of the woman? Did you like that?"

Ari could not stomach the thought.

Nis grinned and chuckled. "Oh, you did enjoy it," he sang. "That is okay, she was a horrible woman too. If that makes you feel any better."

He let go of his hand and rose. "Shall we go see Valy?"

Ari stood there in shock and confusion. He did not dare share those emotions with anyone for fear of being judged. It felt sick. Twisted, to think of humans in that way. And to have someone like Nis know something that private about him made him want to vomit.

"What is it? Did you think I would not take you to see him? Come. Come."

Ari began following behind Nis out the door until he stopped in his tracks and spun around. "Say, Sri... After your little visit with Valy shall we go someplace together?"

Nis' hair was unimaginably red. It reminded him of blood. His eyes and his smile was dark as midnight. As dark as staring into a bottomless well, but there was no malice to be found in them. Staring into them... Ari almost felt a strange sense of comfort.

"Are you the same as him? As Kaval? Is that why you know so much?"

"I know so much because I am old, young one. As old as sin," Nis chuckled.

"I see..."

"It is flattering to think I am one of them." Sarcasm dripped from Nis' mouth as he muttered those words.

"So is what you said about Kaval and your feelings towards him true then?"

"Why would they not be?" Nis beckoned Ari to follow.

"Because... of what he is... "

"It does not bother me in the least."

Nis was strange. As strange as one can get. What he said and did contradicted one another, but at the same time it made much sense in a nonsensical way.

"Would he not weaken you if he stayed behind...?"

"Try as he might, I do not think he ever will. You see, I am a lover of these violent delights..."

"Kaval is not violent."

Nis almost choked on a laugh. "Towards you, I am sure. A different approach for different demons, I suppose."

There was no reason for him to lie. He has been more than truthful thus far. Why would this single matter prompt him to lie? Ari was so used to people telling him anything but the truth that Ari grew wary of the single person that did. It unnerved him.

"Here. He is right through these doors. I kept him close knowing you would worry."

Instead of going inside Ari stared up at him in silence.

"Are you not used to be given answers to your questions?" Nis said causing Ari's eyes to widen. "You are too easy to read. You do not have to be able to read minds to guess what is on yours. It shows right in those pretty eyes of yours. In you go now."

Ari went through the doors and found Kaval almost immediately. He rushed to his side putting his hand inside his. He laid his head onto Kaval's chest and felt a wave of relief wash through him. He was fine just as Nis said.

"He was exhausted. And unbearably so. This wound here." Nis pointed to his heart. "Is the worst of them. It still has not fully healed."

"I understand now."

"If you understand now then you will not mind, will you?" Nis took his finger and pressed hard against the inside of his arm until it bled.

Ari gave Nis a look, but said nothing for a moment. "It would no matter if I minded or not. You would have done so regardless of my feelings."

"Cannot have someone like him done in by the lack of blood, now can we?" He opened Kaval's mouth and pressed it inside. Kaval sank his teeth deep into the meat of his arm.

Even though Ari understood why Nis needed to do what he did, Ari could not stand it. He could not stomach it. Ari turned away from him and muscled down his distaste of the entire situation. Kaval needed it and Nis was happy to provide it for him, Ari reasoned.

"You are one twisted little thing... All of that negative emotion over a little pool of blood," Nis laughed. "I guess we cannot be friends, but what I offer still stands."

His calm voice came closer, but Ari still dd not bother to turn around. "Break whatever agreement you made with him, and I will give you what you truly want."

"And that would be?"

"Freedom."

Ari turned and looked at him then.

"What is the point of finding Harun and the men who raised you? What will you have accomplished? I will tell you now it will be for naught."

"So now you know what it is I need?" Ari said with a glower he did not bother to suppress.

Nis licked up his arm dripping blood and smiled. "Yes, and Auovin and Harun and your little friends are not it. You have been sheltered for far too long. I think what you need is... suffering."

Ari's eyes narrowed.

"What? You think freedom does not come with a price? Instead of molding yourself into what you think other people think you should be, go out into this large vast world and discover it yourself."

"I am myself."

"Hush. Who do you think you are fooling?" Nis' long red hair brushed against the nape of his neck as he wrapped one arm around his waist and pressed him closer.

"Kaval thinks of you as someone to be protected... He will never try and nurture your growing powers that may not agree with his purpose. Auovin is so full of hate. He sees you as a burden. And your humans... Well, need I say more? You see, what I want from you is to embrace it all. The good and the bad."

Ari separated himself from Nis and looked at him.

"And the best way to learn is to learn yourself. You are afraid, I know... I was as well. We all were, but we had to learn. Just like you will."

Ari stared at his hands as Nis' words seeped in like a cold winter rain. To be away from Kaval was too much to think about, but if what Nis said was true... The more time spent with Kaval the more he grew possessive of him. He did not like that side of himself. He could not let Kaval get in his way and he should not get in Kaval's either.

Nis read him like an open book. He said things he did not ever want to admit to himself. Things he thought he had long since buried. Now that they were exposed and out in the open there was no point in denying it any longer. He wanted to be free of others expectations and judgments. That was what he truly sought. But the price— would it be too steep of a price to pay?

"Well?" Nis said bringing him out of his thoughts.

Ari bit down on his lip and sighed. "What must I do?"

Nis' smile widened. "A simple thing, really. Quite easy, really." He grabbed Ari's wrist and brought him over to Kaval.

"You know..." Nis unfurled Ari's hand. "Many demons believe it is the neck that is the only intimate place to draw blood from and overlook the one we use most often."

Ari grew hesitant, but he knew it was too late to stop what was transpiring. In truth, he did not want to. He made that agreement with no knowledge of anything. Kaval took advantage of that. Ari could hardly even differentiate fact from fiction with Kaval and it upset it. Still, he cared very much for him but would not let that get in the way of his decision.

"Draw blood with your own nail. Let a few drops drip into his mouth and say what you think must be said."

He did as was told and cut the palm of his hand with his thumb nail. He balled it into a fist and let the blood pool.

"I still care for you despite everything and anything. But I cannot stay with you like this. In time, I want to be seen as your equal not master or someone to be protected or taken advantage of and lied to. With this blood I give to you, I end our binding agreement."

"And it is done."

Although Ari felt no different, he could not help but feel as if there was a large gaping hole in place of what he had just removed.

"With your lack of blood this should be easy." Nis took his own blood dripping down his arm and took some of Ari's then mixed it together. He drew something on his forehead and down his cheeks.

"What are you—" The aura he was giving off froze him in place. He never felt anything like it before. It was not malicious. It was dark and almost calming.

"Now that this game is coming to an end... would you like to know his name? The one he masquerades around as? This... Harun."

Ari grabbed Nis' wrist to stop him, but it was too late and he had an overwhelming amount of power in comparison.

"It is Nolan. But he is the least of your concerns right now." Nis brought him down to his knees with a simple press of his thumb on Ari's forehead.

"N-Nolan."

"See, told you. It would be all for naught even if you were to know. The place where you are going it will be hard to find your way back here and even harder to find those who you are looking for," Nis laughed.

Ari tried to remove his hand from his face, but it was useless.

"But do not misunderstand me. I did not lie to you. I will give you what you seek. I always have."